A Surprise Destination
by Kelly HB
Summary: Molly Dawes is happy in her work and home life until fate leads her to Charles James. Could this chance encounter change everything she knows?
1. Chapter 1

**A Surprise Destination**

 **Chapter 1**

Molly Dawes stood watching the teenage couple next to her out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't believe that they would stand with their tongues practically down each other's throats in such a public place even though she presumed they may be very much in love. She also guessed maybe it was to do with the very humid July morning and the sun that was already fairly high in the sky. Molly also reminded herself she was still young herself (she was only 26) but couldn't remember being so completely in love with someone or even fancied someone enough to warrant such a public gesture. She looked to her left and pretended to read the local travel information on the noticeboard so the couple wouldn't notice she had been half looking at them. She loved the feeling of having the sun on her face before she would join the hordes of commuters on one of the main lines into London. She was standing on a station platform waiting for her usual 7.30am train to London Kings Cross from the town of Harpenden.

She had lived in Harpenden for about 3 years after having moved from Hackney. She had lived with her parents and 2 younger siblings in a small rented upper flat. Her parents Dave and Belinda had always been very laidback about parenting and never set a great example to the children and Molly could only remember her Dad ever having one job and that was working as a road sweeper for the local council but got fed up with the early morning starts as he said 'Ere, ah may as well walk the same streets to the pub and get paid more by the government' and claimed he had 'vibration white finger' from all the cobbles he had to push his cart over, much to Molly's annoyance. Belinda never worked and had to bring up the children but she was never given any confidence by Dave who thought women should only belong at home and not think about bettering themselves.

Molly left school with a couple of GCSE's and always dreaded that she would end up like her parents. When she was 19 she met and started dating a local boy called Baysey who was a friend of a friend. It wasn't a proper relationship by any means. Molly was more a less a servant for him which mostly always involved going to the shops to buy his cigarettes and lager. They hardly ever went anywhere together apart from the local pub for maybe a pint and then back to Molly's again. Dave really liked Baysey which didn't surprise Molly as they were two of a kind but the final straw for her came when she caught him cheating on her with a so called friend. This kick started a change in Molly's life.

She realised she wanted to be somebody with a respectable job and a contented home life where she could be the person she wanted to be and most of all have her own space. Molly started looking for a proper job and knew that she loved children so she applied for jobs working as a nanny. Surprisingly after only applying for a couple of jobs online, she heard back from a family. They were called Joanna and David Martin and had 2 children, Matthew, 7 and Emily 3. They lived in Chelsea which as far as Molly was concerned was a place which sounded like it was full of snobs but she went anyway to the interview and found she got on extremely well with the couple and their children. Their house was a huge town house with the interior design straight from an Ideal Home catalogue with a kitchen that was bigger than Molly's parents flat. Joanna and David were extremely down to earth and friendly people who never looked down on Molly and never commented badly on where she came from. They both worked and wanted someone to help take Matthew to school, look after Emily at home and take her to any playgroups. Molly started work at 8:00am and went home after she had her evening meal with the family catching up on the day's events. She had always thought she loved this job so much as she could see the love within this family and their children and she had always longed for that when she was growing up and now it made her feel so secure. David's job was converting old properties and had mentioned to Molly that he had renovated a small 2 bedroom cottage in Harpenden which was ideal for her as she longed to be independent and have her own place in relative peace and tranquillity with a complete change of scene and had begun a love of painting in watercolours and pencils and needed a spare room to house her easels, canvasses and other painting equipment. With her pretty decent wage, she could afford the rent so moved in straight away. Dave and Belinda weren't best pleased but she didn't care. This was her life and she wasn't going to waste it.

Molly was shaken from her reverie by, she assumed, the station master coming tapping her on the shoulder.

'Sorry mate, was miles away' with a pleasant smile spreading across her face.

'That's okay, Miss. I was just wondering, is your name Molly Dawes? I just happened to notice your name tag said the same name as what's on this picture. We don't often get people walking around with name tags on.' He laughed and pointed to a large white sticker on Molly's plaid shirt. Molly was teaching Emily the alphabet and different styles of writing and thought it would be fun to walk in the house and have Molly's name on a sticker coloured in Emily's favourite colour red.

'A gentleman yesterday handed this in to me yesterday. He said that someone must have dropped it but he said the picture looked too pretty to be put in the bin and he's right, it is'.

Molly looked down at the drawing Emily and Matthew had started to draw the other day. It was a picture of the Martin family and Molly in the garden with her full name written by Emily at the top of the picture and with the sports car his Dad drove which both Matthew and his Dad were obsessed with. Molly had taken the picture home to colour in with watercolours and sticking various felt fabrics onto the tree branches. She was running late the next day and had cursed herself as she realised she's dropped it when she was running late.

'Ah thanks so much'. Taking the picture from the station master's hands, realising it was still in near perfect condition. 'I'm pleased someone found it. I was gutted when I thought I'd lost it. That's what you get for rushing around. Thanks again', she smiled gratefully.

'Well, it's pure luck I managed to spot your name. You can tell you work with children. My granddaughter loves being creative too. Anyway, Cheerio I must go, the next train to Kings Cross is coming in.' the station master smiled and walked away. Molly very carefully held the picture and would put it in her bag on the train.

The train wasn't too busy surprisingly and when the doors opened she found there was a spare window seat which was rare so she darted to it and sat down, happy to rest her legs. She only just glanced out of the window and was aware of a presence sitting down at the seat next to her.

 **A/N: Hi, this is my first ever Fanfiction so really hope you like it. After months of reading other people's stories, I realised I'm going to be brave and write my own. Oh and hello to the Mumsnetters as I'm always reading your threads and you're all hilarious! xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sometimes wrongly Molly could tell what kind of train journey she would have by the person she was sat next to, depending if it was some teenager with their music blasting in their ears from their iPad loud enough for the whole carriage to hear or occasionally she would get ' a right chatterbox who wouldn't stop talking to me about all the boring rubbish that goes on in their lives, do they think I'm interested in how expensive milk can be?' as she regaled Joanna one day after a particularly fraught train journey. Today was going to be a bad one, she immediately could tell. A gentleman sat down next to her, who Molly noted, seemed to love junk food in the mornings as he ate 2 packets of crisps before the train even moved off and was rummaging around in his holdall for chocolate. He had extremely bad body odour and on this really hot summers morning, it wasn't going to be a pleasant journey. As Molly tried ignore the man by looking out of the window to think of the itinerary for today's play with Emily, a deep commanding voice was heard speaking in the direction of the man Molly sat next to.

"I think you're in my seat. Could you move please?"

The gentleman replied with indifference. "I don't think so. Look this train is about to move and I'm sure there's other seats. It's a sunny day, try not to ruin it, mate"

Molly looked at the side and saw a tall gentleman, wearing a very smart pin stripe suit with a light blue shirt underneath. He was very tanned and had thick brown wavy hair and looked to be late twenties or early thirties. He looked irritated at the man in front of him. "Look, I'm not in the mood for games especially as I pay more than I should for train fares and I don't need the attitude of someone trying to take the piss this early in the morning – mate" Molly wondered with amusement who would win this battle of wills as she admitted she hoped the tall gentleman would. He didn't look like he would have an odour problem she smiled to herself.

After a few minutes silence the man Molly sat to, got up and walked back down the carriage saying nothing. The tall stranger sat down, putting his briefcase on the floor and immediately took his jacket off and rolled his shirt sleeves up. She noticed his forearms were as tanned as the rest of him she could see. He had a lovely smelling aftershave on and Molly congratulated herself on her change in fortunes. Then his mobile rang. "Yeah", he sighed deeply after getting the item out of his trouser pocket. "Do you really have to make it that weekend?" "The last time we went I hated it" Molly could just hear the sound of a woman voice on the other end getting louder and louder, she could even hear it over the sound of the train moving. "Fine, whatever do what you think, Rebecca, you normally do" and put the phone down. He sighed again, wiping the phone screen with his thumb and looking wistfully as he switched it off. Molly looked briefly at the man thinking it reminded her of her how her Dad always had the final say with her Mum when she lived at home and always remembered feeling so sorry for her and Molly thought if she was ever in a relationship again, it would be on equal terms with give and take and definitely not with another Baysey type.

As soon as she looked at the man, he looked up and caught her gaze. He gave a half smile. She was immediately taken by his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes but noticed there was a sadness about them. Molly smiled back fiddling with the corners of the picture that she had in her hand.

"Sorry about that", the gentleman said. "That's the last thing you need on a morning, hearing someone arguing".

"That's alright. I'm used to it where I come from with my Dad and it's normally the man that wins" Molly half laughed but realised she may have said something a bit too personal. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."

The gentleman sniffed out a laugh "It's okay. I wish your Dad could teach me how he does it then." sniffing out a laugh. He looked away down the carriage, his face looking more serious and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and then looked out the window next to Molly. Thinking she may be talking a bit too much to someone who clearly had a lot on his mind, she started to open her bag and fold away the picture, not wanting it forget it again.

"So that picture's yours then?" he said sounding surprised. "What a coincidence, I found that blowing around the other day on the platform."

Molly looked at him and raised her eyebrows "Well I guess thanks are in order. How funny that you're the one sat here too." Molly looked into his eyes again and thought she'd never seen eyes so beautiful, expressive and calming all in one. It was like they were the window to his soul, she thought.

"Yeah, it is. I particularly liked the car on the front, you know boys and their toys and all that" "I did a good deed for the day handing that in I thought. It's nice sometimes doing something little for others once in a while." As he said that last comment his eyes turned away to look at his hands, rubbing his thumb against his palm in contemplative thought.

"Well anyone I'm very grateful. I'm Molly by the way. You know the name on the picture" she pointed to her name written in bright red paint. "Well I've not got as much of the red frizzy hair going on as I have there" laughing at Emily's attempts to draw Molly's hair which today was luckily freshly washed and her brown long hair tucked behind her ears.

"Well nice to meet you, Molly. "I'm Charles" he offered his hand. Molly took it in her tiny hand and thinking it had been a few years since she shook a man's hand. Probably David's when she was offered her nanny job. She always thought it was nice and respectable. She noticed his nice long fingers and perfectly clean fingernails. She probably held his hand a minute or two longer than was necessary but looking into his eyes as he spoke, she felt her stomach start to get butterflies. Charles made no attempt to pull his away as he looked into her eyes. She was sure there was a connection for a second or two but was pulled from this reverie by the loudspeaker stating that they were 10 minutes from Kings Cross. Charles pulled his hand away, clearing his throat, moving his briefcase behind his legs and stating "Oh well, nearly time for the daily grind once again" and looked straight ahead of him seeming instantly deep in thought.

Charles was deep in thought, Molly was right. He had only started getting the train to work as normally he would drive into London. He knew it should feel like a lot of hassle driving there but he liked the insular feeling where he had his own thoughts and his own company and could try to relax with no-one nagging and shouting at him which made for an extremely fraught atmosphere at home until his wife commandeered the car every morning as she would never lower herself to take a train she said. Charles had the perfect life on the surface. He had a very good job which paid extremely well, a wife who looked like a model and played the part of the attentive wife, a top of the range sports sports car, a 5 bedroomed new build townhouse in Redbourn (a beautiful chocolate box village 3 miles from Harpdenden) where he would now do his daily commute as his wife mostly commandeered his car and many friends who were well connected in the world of Motorsport as Charles was a Chief Designer for a top international car brand. But his life underneath the surface was anything but perfect. He was born and grew up in the exclusive Royal Crescent area of Bath. His parents were utterly devoted to him and his sister Felicity. Felicity and Charles were very close growing up, whether it was to do with the close and loving family life they had. They attended the most exclusive private schools in the area and both ironically attended Cambridge University. Felicity to study to become a Doctor and Charles always loved anything to do with Motorsport. He loved to draw, even as a young boy, pictures of different types of cars that he would love to drive when he was older. His dream never left him and when he graduated University with Honours, he was lucky enough to be given the opportunity for a scholarship with an up and coming Motorsport company who were looking to make their mark in the world of racing. Charles quickly worked his way up through the ranks due to his hard work, determination, natural leadership, business sense and his passion for what he believed would make the next generation of supercar.

At a work colleague's house warming party, he met and fell in love with Rebecca. She was tall, blonde, extremely confident and very beautiful and a wannabe actress. She seemed very interested in him and he was by admittance very flattered. He had a thought it could be of his material wealth and his position in the world of business that she was interested but he didn't care. She was a stunning feature to have on his arm and they were always commented on at any society party how well they looked together. They were engaged within a year of meeting and married in opulence at a one of the country's top manor houses. They were happy for the first 5 years of marriage (they had been married now for 9 years). Rebecca tried to persue her acting dreams but always preferred the endless parties in London and holidays with her social friends that were always arranged at the last minute which after a while left Charles feeling lonely at times as he thought his wife should only want to be on holiday with him and not her latest BFF's. He would often come in from work excited to show her videos and promos of the latest model of supercar he had designed but she was mostly always out or had a headache and needed to have an early night.

Charles would admit he was fairly soft with his wife and never demanded anything of her but sometimes when she asked him for shopping money every other day, he would ask what else she would need as she had everything but she would have a crying fit and say he was controlling and how dare he ask her anything like that . The move to Redbourn was to try and get away from London life and settle down into more of a country setting where Charles hoped they would maybe try for a baby. They found out they were expecting a baby when they had just moved and both were happy about it. Life settled down for them but unfortunately Rebecca miscarried when she 17 weeks gone. This Charles suspected was the beginning of the end for their marriage as he tried to console her and to try to grieve together but she would push him away and became more closed off to him. He hoped to try for a baby again but Rebecca spent more time in London or at her friend's new home in the South of France.

Charles needed a change to his life but was scared to admitting to having a failing marriage and being another divorce statistic. That was where he was now, living a lonely life, coming home to an empty house most nights, mostly only seeing his wife briefly first thing on a morning or on an evening when she didn't have anyone else to go to a party with and needed his presence.

On this July day, while staring straight ahead looking at someone's newspaper in front of him, he thought of and liked the brief connection he had with apparently a pleasant lady called Molly Dawes. If only he had this every morning instead of a conversation with an irritated Rebecca.

Looking sideways at Charles, she couldn't believe either the casual conversation that had started between the two of them when she didn't normally try to converse too much with anyone. She just thought herself lucky that she had a pleasant journey to work and one that she hoped she would have again sometime soon.

 **A/N:** **Thank you for the lovely comments regarding my first chapter. It's so nerve-wracking hoping people will like it. I hope this chapter isn't too long but it kind of wrote itself and I couldn't stop.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Come on then. Tell me all about him. " David sat with a mischievous grin on his face looking directly at Molly.

"There's nothing to say. _Really_." Molly replied back raising her eyebrows with a half smile on her face and looking down as Joanna put a plate of spaghetti bolognese in front of her. "Mmm, thanks Jo that looks lovely. Anyway the kids don't wanna hear about my boring journeys to work." Molly looked over at Matthew and Emily who were both sitting about to tuck into their teas but decided hearing about Molly's new friend seemed much more interesting.

"Yeah we do Molls. Mum said you told her this man makes cars and I'm hoping me and Dad'll have a look and drive some." Matthew immediately exclaimed, excitedly tapping his feet on his stool foot rest.

"You know it's a good job you lot can keep secrets in this house." Joanna joked to her family, sitting down to her tea and opening a bottle of wine, shaking her head. "Sorry, Molls it's just so romantic and mysterious. Meeting a tall gentleman on a train who by all accounts sounds like a male model and seems nice to boot."

"Sounds like my twin," laughed David and Matthew laughed too, covering his mouth while trying to eat. "It's like Trevor Howard and Celia whatshername. You know off that dead old film," clicking his fingers in the direction of Joanna.

"Brief Encounter, that's it!" David proudly stated and high fived Matthew. That was what Molly loved about this family. The loving and happy way all four family members were with each other were one of the things Molly adored about this job.

"All we're saying Molls is I think it's nice that you've met someone that hopefully could turn unto something because I do worry about you living out by yourself, and getting the train by yourself home again at night and as you said he gets off the same stop as you. You know, you're so pretty, Molly. Honestly, I'm surprised no-ones noticed you before now." Joanna looked seriously at Molly.

"Alright, alright, calm down when you've quite finished getting me married off." Molly laughed. "I'm only meeting him for coffee tomorrow night. He's nice but he's just a friend. **_And_** I love where I live. Having my own space, my little garden plus I love to do my painting there. I'm well settled" Molly reached forward to put her hand on Joanna's. "Don't worry about me."

She had a great relationship with Joanna. She looked on her as an older sister, regularly going shopping on a Saturday into central London together. They also both loved vintage home design and loved to browse the small vintage shops that Joanna knew about. She had recently suggested to Molly about moving into the loft extension upstairs which was admittedly a huge open area and the kids would love her to live with them but it was no contest compared to where her heart lay.

"So whats his name again? Henry or something? Some posh sounding name wasn't it?" David chimed in.

"It's Charles. And he's not posh. He's just a regular bloke and you know… has nice eyes." Molly winked at Emily. "Anyway let's get these dishes cleared away, you bunch of nosey parkers, I'll miss my train at this rate." Molly got up to clear the dinner table watching with amusement as David grabbed Joanna's hand and they started to do a waltz around the marble kitchen island.

"What was the name of that song on our first date Jo? Oh yeah, " I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney Houston. She was a gonner after seeing my moves Molls let me tell you." David grinned.

"Yeah right dream on. I only stayed around because you kept promising you were going to build me a house. Imagine being promised that on a first date and I believed him! Well at least he does them up instead." Jo and David laughed together while Matthew and Emily jumped in too and the dancing then turned into a tickle frenzy with the children laughing loudly.

Molly sat on the train thinking of the laughs she had with Emily through the day and the rest of the family at dinner. She thought to herself if she ever got married, she would want all of the happiness that David and Joanna had. She wouldn't settle for anything less. She really wanted the heart-thumping, blood pumping, breath taking, adrenalin rush of being with someone who made you complete.

She immediately thought of Charles, strangely enough. After that first meeting on the train that morning, he infiltrated her thoughts every day since. Snippets of memories infiltrated her mind. His gorgeous chocolate brown eyes. His gold and blue Rolex watch sat upon his tanned forearms. His wavy brown hair but when it was a warm day, would start to curl slightly. His welcoming and sexy smile and when he smiled at you, you felt like the only girl in the world. His suits which were a perfect fit to his frame and his perfectly ironed shirts. The smell of his aftershave which was so irresistible. She thought if she rubbed herself up against him, could she get the smell to stick to her clothes? She laughed to herself at that one to get a grip. His tall height, which Molly had imagined would be perfect if you were ever to kiss him.

Molly realised after that first meeting that she was very attracted to him but she tried not to think about it too much as she guessed that he was married after hearing the woman's voice on the other end of the phone and she would never get involved with someone else's man. She had a cheating partner and it hurt her so much that she could never forgive that.

Molly had small exchanges of conversation on the station platform with Charles in the days following on from when they first met. But enough to know she would like to get to know him further. She noticed he mostly got the same time train as her. He always sat in his reserved seat and Molly always looked for the seat next to him to be free but generally it was always taken. She didn't want to be seen as desperate to speak to him but just being near to him made her day start well so she thought where was the harm in that? There was no angry phone calls from, she assumed, his wife. But he sat either looking out of the window or reading a newspaper. She wanted to know more about him, what made him tick.

The day that Molly and Charles organised their coffee date, was one that Molly thought of as special.

Molly was a few minutes late for the train and just managed to make it in time as the doors were about to close. As she stepped briskly inside, she couldn't believe her luck as Charles stood leaning against the glass looking in her direction.

"Morning Molly Dawes." Charles said cheerily with a smile that Molly knew was one of her favourites.

'Morning Charles. How come you're not in your seat?" Molly asked leaning back holding onto a handrail.

"Well, there's an elderly gentleman in my seat today and to be fair I think I would be a bit of a bad man to kick him out of it." Charles replied scrunching up his nose and smiling. "Anyway looks like we can have a proper chat today. It's lucky you were late and that man was in my seat." Charles said quietly and bit his bottom lip.

"Well that depends if I wanna talk to you. Anyway, you can just call me Molly, you know. It doesn't have to be all formal. Not at this time in the morning anyway." Molly smiled and looked out of the door window. She didn't want to sound too over familiar talking to Charles but she didn't know when she would get this close to stand with him again for a length of time and today it had to be said, he looked so gorgeous. His light blue shirt had the top three buttons undone and she could see the top of his chest was smooth and as he swallowed, she could see his windpipe and imagined her herself kissing it gently.

 ** _Molly definately get a grip for God's sake, she thought._**

"Well, we don't know each other properly yet. You have to earn the right to just be called Molly."

Charles smirked hoping it didn't sound too much like he was flirting. It was a long time since he'd done that and didn't know if he would be any good at it.

He knew he was very attracted to Molly. She had beautiful long wavy brown hair that cascaded over her shoulders. She had a sensational figure with curves in all the right places. Her green eyes were so astounding. He had never seen an eye colour so vivid before. They pulled him in every time he looked at her and it seemed like she was trying to read his thoughts just by looking at him. He was afraid in case she could as his thoughts when he was near her were very contradicting. Even though he was married to Rebecca, he knew that he couldn't go on living like this. He hadn't seen her for 3 days. She told him that she had to be in London for a fashion shoot her friend had organised for her but wasn't sure what day she would be back. Charles stopped asking when he would see her again when she was going away. So now that he'd met someone like Molly who seemed to like to talk to him, he thought why can't I get to know her, even for just a coffee somewhere? That has to be a lot more innocent than what Rebecca was probably up to so he refused to feel guilty about arranging anything with Molly.

"Oo that sounds serious. Earning a right? You'll have to let me know how to do that then." Molly replied quietly.

The train's brakes suddenly came on hard which made everyone who was standing up fall forward a few steps. Molly was no exception. Her hand came away from the handrail and she fell onto Charles body, with her hands hitting against his sculptured chest and her face just landing under Charles chin. Molly's heart started racing being so close to him and touching his body and smelling his distinctive aftershave.

"Shit, sorry." Molly stated, taking her hands slowly off his chest. She then noticed his left hand had gone to the small of her back to hold her close to him when she fell forward so she didn't hurt herself.

"It's okay. Seems like the train driver's still waking up." Charles said quietly as he cleared his throat and moved his hand from her back, moving it round within touching distance of her arm.

"Hows Matthew and Emily? Still keeping you busy?" Charles asked, trying to ease the sexual tension that was hanging in the air that he was sure Molly could sense too.

"Yeah, they're okay. Matthew's all about his Xbox and cars at the minute. David, his Dad's trying to get him into football but he's more interested in getting the latest car games. He's a nice kid though and Emily's just Emily really. Absolutely loving the colours pink and red at the moment and we're going through a real Barbie phase. She's always drawing them and I think she's got about 4 or 5 dolls already."

"Dolls I know nothing about but however cars on the other hand I do know something about. You should invite Matthew and David over to the racetrack one day and I'll show them round the development hangar where we've got the latest models at the moment waiting to be tested". Charles suggested. "You could come as well, if you fancied it?"

"Well they would love that but I don't know about me. I don't know the first thing about cars. If there's a coffee shop I'll sit and watch you all show off who knows the most if you want?" Molly giggled.

"There may be a few garden chairs, a Thermos flask and a plate of plain digestive biscuits on the field. They don't really do coffee shops there. " Charles replied smiling. Molly, noticing as Charles spoke, that his left arm was holding onto the rail above Molly's head meaning he was leaning very close to her. "But of course if you're up for that, I'll have to take you for a proper coffee first. Show you that I'm not a total skinflint making you sit on garden chairs." Charles smirked and Molly could see his tongue rolling behind his bottom teeth when he opened his mouth.

"Maybe I will. But I'll want a better biscuit than plain digestive mind, if it's a proper coffee shop we're going to. I'm talking at least a Rocky Road biscuit" Molly said smiling and giggling slightly.

"Okay I think I can stretch to that. How about Thursday night? You finish work at 8. I can meet you at the coffee shop in Harpenden when you get off the train at about 8:30. There's a new one just opened. Unless you would be in a rush to get home?"

"Okay, you're on." Molly replied, as she realised she was biting her own bottom lip. "No I wouldn't be in a rush to get home at all."

"Good then, it's a date." Charles said softly, looking deeply into Molly's eyes.

"Seems like it is" Molly replied, but subconsciously she needed to know more about Rebecca before she would allow herself to think romantically about Charles and being on a date with him. However, it was only right, she decided, that she continued with the fantasies of him.

They both stood there in silence while they looked into each other's eyes. They hoped they knew what the other must be feeling looking at each other like this but it was too soon to say. Their intense looks were interrupted by the voice coming over the loudspeaker stating loudly that they were 5 minutes from King's Cross.

 ** _Thursday at 8:30pm_**

Molly's heart felt like it could burst out of her chest, she was so nervous and excited. The semi-mysterious person, who she admitted she didn't know too much about, was only 5 minutes away and she thought how she felt was like something out of one of those romantic novels.

She got changed at work into a knee length short sleeved black dress and it had diamante detailing on the sleeves and at the bottom of the dress. Her hair was down and had loose curls cascading around her shoulders. She also wore black strappy sandals with also a diamante detailing at the front to match her dress. She had just got out of the train and walked through the station foyer area. She crossed the road immediately seeing the coffee shop in front of her. It was designed in an old fashioned 1940's style and looked to be pretty full. Molly took a deep breath as she saw Charles inside waiting for her. He walked over from the table inside and opened the door for her.

"You look beautiful." Charles beamed and took her hand gently as a guided her inside.

Molly couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as she did now.

 **A/N. So sorry to end right when the first proper meeting's just started (I won't call it a date yet from Molly's POV as Molly needs to find out more about Rebecca) but the chapter seemed quite long and I thought I'd stop there for the moment before things get too involved at the Cafe. Let's see how the evening continues in the next chapter. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews. They mean so much especially for a first time writer like me. xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 ** _Molly took a deep breath as she saw Charles inside waiting for her. He walked over from the table and opened the door._**

 ** _"_** ** _You look beautiful." Charles beamed and took her hand gently as he guided her inside._**

 ** _Molly couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as she did now._**

As soon as she walked into the Café, the smell of freshly ground coffee hit her and the faint sounds of a piano was playing on an in-house stereo system in the background. Charles put his hand on the small of her back and moved his hand from hers and guided her to a booth seat at the side of the room.

"Is sitting here okay for you?" Charles asked.

"Yeah, its fine, thanks." Molly sat down gently and smoothed her hair over her shoulders. She looked around wanting to make a note as much as she could of every part of this evening.

There were a dozen wooden tables and chairs dotted around the room with four booth seats situated along the four walls with an old fashioned type of bar in the middle of the room with a huge selection of glasses & cups standing to attention on the wide shelves with a huge mirrored background helping to reflect the light which was provided by three huge glass light fittings which hung from the ceiling. There were a few people sitting dressed in office suits on the way home from work after maybe a late finish and a few couples having a drink and a light snack, who Molly presumed fancied somewhere different to go as it was a lovely warm evening. The walls were full of 1940's memorabilia and posters which Molly tried to read especially the one right next to them.

"Dig for victory?" Molly said with curiosity.

"Indeed. Those were dangerous times. Everyone had to pull together and all that." Charles stated.

"Yeah I remember seeing posters like that on some of the old films my Nan used to watch. Interested in this sort of thing are you?" Molly asked with a smile spreading across her face.

"Mm. It's important to know where you've come from to know where you're going in life. Sorry, I mean I do like a bit of history, yeah." Charles corrected himself, sniffing out a laugh. He really wanted Molly to enjoy this evening and didn't want to sound boring at all. It had been a while since he'd had other female company other than Rebecca and that wasn't very much.

"And what song's this then if you like history so much?" Molly thinking it would be fun to test him again

"A lady called Billie Holiday and I think it's called The Very Thought Of You".

"Wow, I'm impressed, Charles that you know that. Not just a pretty face then." Molly said quietly, imagined herself moving slowly on a dancefloor in Charles arms to this song looking into his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes.

"Well thank you Molly Dawes and I'd also need to know what you'd like to have". He passed her over a large menu, their fingers touching each other in the slow exchange.

"All this first page is for just coffee?" Molly couldn't believe all the different types that they sold.

"Yep. Oh I don't just take you to any old coffee place, you know." Charles grinned.

After a couple of minutes of deciding, Molly opted for the large cappuccino and a large slice of chocolate fudge cake that she saw in the cake stands on the glass counter. Charles chose a Rosabaya coffee and a slice of carrot cake. While they waited for the waitress to return with their drinks, Molly took in what Charles was wearing. He wore a dark blue shirt with cream buttons and chino trousers with beige shoes. She wondered if all his clothes that he wore always looked well put together. His pecs were showing through his shirt, Molly noticed and imagined herself running her fingers along the outline of them and wondered how hard they would feel. She had to stop thinking like this until she knew more about him and potentially a wife that he may or may not have.

"Are you okay? You look a million miles away." He bit his lip, noticing that she was looking at his chest and hoping she was thinking about him rather than something else.

"No. I'm fine". Molly smiled nervously, thinking it was now or never as she didn't want to ruin the evening by potentially over imagining things about Charles personal life that might not be true. "It's just I really like what I know about you but I need to know about your wife who I assumed you were talking to that day on your mobile." Molly instantly regretted being so forward with her statement. Charles looked at her openly. He didn't look surprised that she had brought up Rebecca. He wanted to be honest with Molly as he knew that he had the potential to have something special with her. He also wanted to reveal the developments at home the previous evening.

"Yes, you're right. I have a wife, well, on paper but not in the actual living day to day sense. She's called Rebecca. But we've now separated. She was living a party lifestyle that wasn't me at all. I grew up from that years ago so in the end we wanted much different things." Charles heart started beating fast in his chest and his hands began to feel clammy with anticipation. Just saying the words **"** **we've separated"** didn't seem real yet but he also couldn't help feeling a sense of excitement and freedom. But also that he should have had the discussion that he'd had with Rebecca last night, a long time ago.

He had arrived home to the sound of raucous laughter coming his and Rebecca's bedroom. Instead looking in the fridge that was mostly always empty aside from a couple of ready meals and a carton of milk that Charles always picked up on the way home from work, he thought to himself that he couldn't live this life any longer. How can it be a marriage when one person is completely miserable and torn up inside with loneliness and regret while the other acted like a single woman, holidaying with god knows who, never at home and showed no love to her husband, outwardly anyway. Rebecca was indeed going away, Charles found out, to Cannes for a week as the film festival season was starting and her friends had chartered a yacht to go sailing around the area. Charles announced that he had had enough. He was sick of living a lie and that he needed a separation. Rebecca was quiet but agreed that things were in a bad way between them and that she knew she was to blame for how things had gone. Charles was quite surprised at her taking the news seemingly easily. She agreed to the separation and said she would live at her friend's house in London until things were finalised. She packed a few of her things and was about to leave before putting her hand on his arm gently and saying "You would make a wonderful father one day".

After she left, Charles sat on their bed as the warmth of the sun was setting over the tall trees in the back garden and cried silently with relief and wanting to live his life on his terms. Refusing in the end to think of his 9 years marriage to Rebecca as a waste, as he knew at some stages they were both happy, but to think of it a learning experience to better things.

"Sorry. When did the separation happen?" Molly raised her eyebrows.

"Don't be sorry Molly. It's what I've wanted for a long time." Charles reached across the table for Molly's left hand and took it in his. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. The touch of it sent butterflies in Molly's stomach while his beautiful brown eyes looked at her with sincerity. "It was only last night" Charles admitted, hoping that it wouldn't make any different to how Molly might feel.

"Last night? So you don't think you'll change your mind then? Molly hoped she would hear the answer she wanted to hear.

"Definitely not." There was a companionable silence as they looked at each other, holding hands. Molly would ask more in depth information in time but she could tell in her heart that Charles was sincere and honest. She felt so lucky that she met this wonderful man and that he seemed to like her very much too.

"Well in that case seeing as you or I have anything to rush back for, I'll order another coffee. Oh and in case you didn't notice as well, you just called me Molly".

"Mm, you must've earned it somehow then" Charles smirked still holding onto Molly's hand. He beckoned the waitress over.

"I can't see or hear anything happening. Are you sure it's working?"

"It must be otherwise the waitress wouldn't have mentioned to us using it. Besides it's a new café so you would think it would work." Charles tried pressing the buttons he could see in front of him.

When Charles ordered their coffees, the waitress said that only for a limited time there was an old fashioned style photo booth round the corner of the main seating area that gave customers free photos but in 1940's style photo surrounds.

Molly said yes straight away and looked at Charles pleadingly as she knew that Emily would love to see photographs made up to look old fashioned. Molly sat on Charles' knee while he was perched on the tiny corner seat. They couldn't help but laugh at how they must've looked, nearly falling off the seat every two seconds while trying to pose for whenever the photograph would take.

Charles sitting looking confused while Molly was trying to give him bunny ears from behind **_–_** ** _click!_**

Molly falling off Charles knee while he tried to grab her nearly falling off the seat again both laughing loudly **_–_** ** _click!_**

Charles bringing her back to his knee while they looked into each other's eyes **_–_** ** _click!_**

Charles stroking Molly's cheek and lower lip while lowering his head to kiss her lips softly ** _–_** ** _click!_**

"Well we didn't pose for them very well, did we? I think the timing was a bit off on some." Molly laughed when the four photos dropped out of the machine into the tray below.

"Really, I think they're perfect." Charles said softly, kissing the top of her head with his arm around her as they stood in the dimmed lighting looking at the new set of memories they created together.

 **A/N:** **Really hope you like the "date." I will call it that now as Molly knows about Rebecca. I really struggled with this chapter. I hope it doesn't show. Sorry it's not a very long one. I am having a confidence crisis at the minute as there so many good stories out there which is great but I wonder if people will still be interested in this one as it's not the most exciting one I'm afraid but writing it's a great experience so I'll probably continue. Thanks again for all lovely reviews for previous chapters.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Molly walked to the train station feeling like the luckiest girl in the world, walking to meet the man who had changed her outlook on life completely and who she was madly in love with. The sun was high in the sky even though it was pretty early, and the smell of beautiful summer flowers including lavender and lily of the valley as she walked past the perfectly tended gardens with their luscious bright green lawns and white wooden garden fences. Since moving to the more rural area of Harpenden and now having a small garden, she had a little more knowledge of flowers than she had growing up in the family flat in London where Dave and Belinda never even had so much as a vase of them on show. She had a white and purple summer dress on with white flat shoes and her hair was down and floated gently in the slight breeze around her face and shoulders.

Thinking as she walked how only a few months ago, Molly wasn't interested in dating or thinking she even wanted a boyfriend. However, she didn't want to have a tainted view on men based on the only so called relationship she'd had which was a bad one. She still believed in marriage, even though her parents one wasn't the best example, and hoped that one day maybe in 10 years or so, she may, in her daily life find someone who she would adore completely and he would be so head over heels in love with her too but this is real life and not some fairy tale. **_Meeting Charles James had changed all that._**

Since their first date at the coffee shop a couple of months ago, they had enjoyed cinema dates, meeting at lunchtimes when Charles had organised his workload to have a long lunch and Molly was out with Emily, or going for walks in the fields by Molly's house and 'posh' meals in the city in restaurants that Molly wouldn't normally go to but with Charles by her side she felt invincible as if she had a constant warm glow of love surrounding her. Listening to herself, she would probably call herself 'a soppy prannet' but she couldn't deny how she felt.

Joanna was always very eager to hear the latest on the "hot new couple" and then David would tell Molly to "bring him round so we can have a look at him," however she would remind him that he was really more interested in what cars Charles would be developing next. She would without a doubt introduce Charles to Joanna and David soon as she felt they would get on very well. All three were very open, friendly people, in their thirties, young executives, even though someone's job didn't determine anything but she just had a good feeling whenever the meeting would occur that things would go well. Charles meeting her parents would be something that would happen way down the line. Molly didn't want anything to go wrong there as her Dad could be aloof or offhand with his comments about people to their faces that he didn't know very well and she knew that would wind her up rotten where Charles was concerned.

Molly walked through the ticket turnstile pushing and collecting her ticket out of each side. Her heart jumped as it did every morning seeing the man who she had pinned so many hopes and dreams on. Charles turned around and a large grin spread across his face. They walked towards each other while Molly thought her heart would jump out of her chest.

"Hey you." Charles wrapped his left arm around her waist whilst he lifted his right hand to her cheek and stroked her bottom lip tenderly with his thumb as he lowered his head to kiss her lightly.

"Hey yourself" Molly replied quietly, feeling bereft after Charles moved his warm lips away.

They turned and walked towards the plastic seats on the station platform with Charles' arm still around her waist. Where they sat, the sun shone down onto their faces adding an extra warmth to the already hot morning. Most days they would meet each other to get the train together depending if Charles had any early morning meetings to go to which meant he would have to get an earlier train.

Molly leant her head onto Charles shoulder and closed her eyes with a smile still spread across her face. He looked down at her and his heart leapt in his chest that she looked so contented.

"Happy?"

"Mm, very. You're a lovely travel pillow though, has anyone ever told you that?" Charles sniffed out a laugh. "This sun's a bit hot. But weirdly, I was cold in bed last night."

"Well that's probably because I wasn't in it with you."

Molly lifted her head and playfully hit his arm laughing. "Steady on, mate. You've gotta be invited first". They hadn't slept together yet. The furthest they had gone was kissing and cuddling on Molly's sofa but Charles hadn't wanted to push anything and only wanted to wait until Molly was ready to take it to the next level. It was difficult though as he was extremely attracted to her especially when she looked at beautiful as she did this morning.

Molly felt the same in that she was so attracted to Charles it felt like an ache in her stomach sometimes but she didn't want to come on too strong and maybe spoil things. She knew Charles would be ready whenever she was however until the moment took them, they enjoyed a flirty banter which she knew they both loved.

"Oh by the way, I bought you these." Charles picked up a tea in a plastic cup and a slice of chocolate fudge cake in a plastic container that he'd bought from a coffee and bagel van that was stood outside the station most mornings, earning a healthy trade from commuters.

"Oh thanks I could murder a drink as well. You read my mind." She instantly took the lid off and blew on the drink as it was still quite hot. "And a cake? I'll have to hide it away from the kids otherwise they'll have all of it. Thanks Charles".

"Well, I saw it and thought of our coffee date. In fact I think quite a lot of all our dates we've had." Charles dipped his head so both of their foreheads were touching. They sat for a few minutes in companionable silence. Molly lifted her hand and stroked his cheek while she looked at him through upturned eyes. She started thinking about the difference in Charles from the man that she first met who was all torn up inside, seeing the loneliness and hurt in his eyes compared to the man now who was openly affectionate and loving to her in private or in public.

"Anyway, where's your drink?"

"Someone was a bit late so already drank mine. Can't wait forever, you know. I'm a busy businessman." Molly smiled at Charles ribbing as their train came into the station. She dropped her cup into the plastic bin next to them as they both stood and waited for it to come to a standstill with Charles holding Molly's hand.

As they boarded the train, they realised it was very busy. Charles pre-paid seat was empty but most times he preferred to stand with Molly. He would usually offer Molly his seat but she said she didn't want to sit opposite some stinky weird bloke when she could stand opposite a gorgeous one. Charles would often smirk at the comment and hold Molly closer to him thanking his lucky stars. Today, Charles had to stand with one arm above Molly holding onto the handrail while she held her arm around his waist grounding her against any sudden movements from the train. She could smell his lovely aftershave that he used while looking into those deep chocolate brown eyes. He was looking more tanned these days with his walking home from the train station in this warm weather which meant very tanned forearms, neck and face. She wondered exactly where his tan would stop and how white were his white bits. **_Careful Molly, get a grip. It's too early in the morning to be thinking like this._** But she couldn't help it when she was around him.

"So what you got on at work today, then? You and a few blokes sitting round a table working out who can draw the biggest car?" Molly laughed to herself trying to push her dirty thoughts to the back of her mind. Sometimes she enjoyed joking with Charles about his job, as she imagined an older version of Matthew or a bunch of David's who were all big kids at heart, but really she found what she knew about his job a huge turn on. Imagining Charles in an immaculate suit, his Rolex watch gleaming in the reflection from the midday sun, brown hair in styled waves that you could sink your hands into, projecting his ideas in a huge meeting room high up in the tall building she knew that he worked in with glass walls on two sides, telling people what size of engine to put in a car, how big to make certain parts and using lots of sexy words like **faster** , **stronger,** **horse power,** **leather seats** and **full throttle!**

Charles smirked at Molly's earlier joke. **"** Well, I've got a couple of meetings this morning with suppliers for a new model we're unveiling next month and this afternoon, some conference calls with head office in Germany."

"Suppliers, you say?" Molly had mischief written all over her face and Charles was more than happy to indulge her. "So er, what exactly do they supply you with then? Anything exciting?"

"Well we're looking at interiors today so maybe leather seats and wood panelling?" Is that exciting enough for you?" Charles bit his bottom lip and Molly noticed his eyes darkening.

"It's okay for starters. Is the wood shiny and smooth when you get it? Molly asked quietly.

"Not always, sometimes we have to make it shiny and smooth."

"Sometimes you have to?"

"We do." The sexual tension definitely building between the two within the confines of the packed commuter train.

"Would you show me how you do that?" Molly was holding tighter around his waist and could hear Charles' breath catching in his throat.

"Oo, I'd be giving away all my company secrets there, Dawes? You'd have to pass a development test first for me to tell you and let me tell you it's very very hard." he whispered in Molly's ear. She could feel her heart beat racing and her body temperature rising considerably.

"Is it now?" She felt like she could barely stand and was dying to feel how hard he was

"It is".

They were rudely interrupted from their game of verbal foreplay by the voice over the loud speaker announcing they would be arriving at King's Cross in 5 minutes.

Charles cleared his throat and gave a sexy smile and looked down coyly at his briefcase before looking back up into Molly's beautiful brown eyes.

"I was wondering if I could pick you up tonight from your work in one of my favourite cars that's just been put on sale in the UK. I think it's in your favourite colour too? We could go out for tea and I could drop you back off at home?"

Molly thought it would be a great opportunity for Joanna, David and Matthew to meet Charles. When Emily met Charles on a lunchtime, she was very shy at first but was soon smiling after he bent down to her eye level and offered his hand for her to shake and loved the toy car that he had brought down from his office for her to play with. Molly noticed his easy way with children which pleased her. "Sounds good. I've got to admit I like watching you drive and if it's a colour I like then even better."

"Perfect. I'll pick you up at 7:30?"

"Is he here yet? I can't see. Emily's keeps pushing me out the way." Matthew complained as both him and Emily sat on their knees leaning against the back of the settee looking out of the huge living room bay window.

"Molly said 7:30 and I'm sure he won't be long. Besides it's bedtime soon and I only let you stay up to say hello and then you're going up to bed so don't moan." Joanna stood looking outside too, her arms resting on Matthew's shoulders.

"Is he here yet? I can't wait to have a test drive of whatever he's got. I bet it's gonna be the new CR30 model. Amazing that one is. Saw a picture the other day in a magazine. Do you know it goes 0-30 in like 6 seconds or something?" David stating coming into the living room and eating the remains of his tea off his fork. He stood, resting his arm on Joanna's shoulder peering outside too.

"I hope you lot aren't going to embarrass me? Look at you, you'd think you'd never met someone before." Molly stood up after putting her shoes on and adding a dash of red lipstick and some mascara in the huge mirror sat on the living room wall.

"I think it's more the car that he's interested in I'm afraid, Molls. Anyway, you, you've had your fair share of cars and motorbikes, so I don't know why you're so excited?" Joanna looked at Dave and patted his stomach as she walked away.

"That's not the point. What he's driving will be immense. It's bound to be a motorsport one. Brand spanking new." David said pointing his fork at the window.

"I'll go in the passenger seat Dad." Matthew interjected looking at his Dad excitedly.

"Sure thing son. We will look the nuts as our Molly would say. Hope Trevor up the road will be watching. It'll put hi to shame that he's always going on about" David high-fived his son laughing.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Jeremy Clarkson over here but it's a quick hello, nice to meet you and then we're off. I'm gonna be the only one in the passenger seat tonight." Molly couldn't help feeling excited at what tonight was going to hold. She loved the butterfly feeling in her stomach she would get from the anticipation of seeing him.

"He's here. He's here. I'll get the door!" Matthew ran out the living room and into the hall nearly slipping on the shiny laminate flooring.

Molly looked out and took a deep breath as she could see the roof and front bumper of a purple car. She couldn't see any more as there a large hedge at the bottom of the garden. She heard the deep rumble of the car's engine as it was turned off.

"No Matthew let Molly get it, it's only polite." Joanna stated. David came walking up behind her holding Emily's hand. Looking at the four of them, standing practically as if they would jump on Charles as soon as he walked through the door. She thought they could be so daft sometimes but it made her laugh.

The reflection of Charles came through the frosted glass of the front door and Molly opened the door before he could get to the doorbell. "Hi you." Molly beamed as soon as she saw Charles standing there. She stepped out and hugged him at the same time as he said "Hi yourself" and held her face in his hands and kissed her lips gently.

"Sorry I'm a couple of minutes late, I had problems driving over the speed bumps and the car is a bit low to the ground. It's not exactly mine and don't want to wreck it." Charles looked apologetically.

"You're right on time. Let me introduce you to these people who to be honest forgot you were coming and I had to remind them." Molly joked and held Charles hand as she guided him into the hallway. She noted what Charles was wearing as she did so. A Ralph Lauren light blue polo shirt, blue jeans and Converse trainers. He looked good for any occasion, she thought.

"Charles, this is David, Joanna and Matthew. Emily you know"

"Pleased to meet you, Charles, Heard a lot about you" David and Charles shook hands.

"Nice to meet you at last Charles. Molly doesn't stop talking about you. Come in." Joanna said standing aside.

"Hi, lovely to meet you all too." Charles then shook Joanna's hand and looked down at Matthew who was standing slightly behind his Mum's back. "And I guess you must be Matthew. I've heard a lot about you and a little bird told me that you could be a racing car driver for the future?" Matthew looked up and shook Charles hand seeming more confident. "In the next few years definitely".

"Yeah whatever mate". David laughed shaking up Matthews hair. "Do you want a cuppa or I've got some homemade ginger ale-beautiful stuff. Made in my own garden shed."

"Erm I.." Charles looked at Molly, not knowing whether she wanted them to leave straight away.

"Well, I wouldn't mind some tea to be honest, I'm starving but I think there's something these boys want to see first though." Molly said beckoning with her head outside. "If that's okay Charles?"

"Course it is. Would you like to open the door, Matthew?" Charles looked and passed the huge fob to the young boy nodding excitedly, who looked like all his birthdays had come at once.

Outside was a deep purple supercar with two huge side car doors that opened upwards. It looked very low to the ground, Molly thought. She couldn't take her eyes off the sparkling white alloys. The car looked immaculate but as she didn't have a lot of car knowledge, there wasn't more she could notice until she got inside but as David and Matthew were looking over every inch of the car, there was more she could see anyway.

"He seems really nice Molly. I mean it. I've got a good feeling about him and to be honest, he is pretty stunning to look at too." Joanna said, nudging Molly gently.

"Thanks. I know. To be honest, it doesn't feel real sometimes. I wasn't really looking for anyone and then, I dunno, I meet him. I just don't want anything to jinx it I think is what I'm trying to say." Molly laughed at herself.

"It won't Molly. Believe in yourself. Look at you, you're stunning too. You deserve to be happy and he does too from what you told me. Now get yourself away before these two end up running off in it." Joanna laughed. "See you tomorrow Molly and tell me all about it".

Molly kissed Joanna on the cheek "See you tomorrow" and walked towards Charles. He had the bonnet open showing David the engine and talking about other intricacies while Matthew sat in the passenger seat.

"Come on then out you come. School in the morning. I've got plans."

"See you Charles. Will you come back soon and we can go for a drive round the block?" Matthew asked, getting out of the car slowly.

"Of course. No problems. Both you and your Dad if you'd like?"

"If we'd like?. Is the Pope a Catholic? Course we would. That is a beautiful machine, Charles. You've got a very lucky job, mate." He and Charles shook hands again. "See you Molls."

"Thanks Dave. See you soon." Charles waved and smiled at him.

"Night Dave." Molly replied.

Charles took her hand and helped her into the passenger seat. Well, I think it's a seat, she thought. It had holes with stainless steel edging everywhere and sports writing around it. The leather was lovely and cool on this warm evening as Charles closed her door and hopped round to his side.

"This is well nice. I can't believe it's in my favourite colour too. I hope we're not going to a chippy cos I would hate to get tomato sauce stuck down these seats." Molly smiled, rubbing her hand along the dark metal centre console. The dashboard was all dials and shiny metal hinges and red and black buttons. The smell was lovely, like a brand new car smell mixed with new leather.

"I go above and beyond for you Molly. I remember it was purple you loved but I'm bloody glad it wasn't pink. I would hate to get a reputation." Charles laughed. "Anyway I'm a man with a plan when it comes to what we're doing this evening". Charles looked across at Molly and winked. He reached across and stroked her hand. "You look absolutely beautiful."

He started the engine and the car let out a loud roar as Charles pressed the accelerator a few tries for the amusement of David and Matthew still standing outside watching. They drove away while Molly took a minute to admire the view of Charles. He looked stunning in the evening sun, the brown colour of his eyes dancing with the slight vibration of the car's engine, his hair was curly at the sides, his height so attractive even sitting down. This car suited him. She thought to herself Joanna was right, she needed to believe in herself more and believe this was actually happening to her. She deserved to be this happy.

 **A/N:** **Hi, I could go on with this chapter but thought I would stop it there as I could have gone on. Hope you're enjoying the ride as much as Molly when it comes to the story. I'm allowing more of Molly's naughty thoughts to come through when it comes to CJ but let's face it, who's wouldn't?**

 **I should point out I don't own anything when it comes to names, cars, characters etc, trying to keep it as nameless as possible.** **A huge thank you to everyone who sent me lovely comments in the last chapter. It's a huge support.**


	6. Chapter 6

"How long is it gonna be? I feel like I've been sitting here forever. I'm still hungry, you know." Molly looked out of the window, taking a deep breath, looking at the undulating fields and trees whizzing past. The feeling of the leather seats making her body slightly sticky and the dress she wore, cling to the back of her legs.

"Good things come to those who wait, Molly." Charles looked across at her with a twinkle in his eye and a wide smile. "It'll be worth it, I promise." He reached over the centre console, took Molly's hand, brought it to his lips and gently kissed the back of it. His warm breath causing goose bumps to rise up her arms and cause her face to flush slightly.

Molly loved it when Charles was open with his feelings. She always felt so comfortable and could be herself around him. She'd never been one for showing a huge outpouring of emotion but with Charles, it was like he'd tapped into her soul with the love he had for her and just like Molly used to think to herself hoping, she finally had the heart-thumping, blood pumping, breath taking, adrenalin rush of being with someone who made you complete.

"How's your Mum and Dad?" Molly asked Charles. She hadn't met them yet but Charles never went home to Bath that often but promised she would see them soon. He was looking forward to when the time came when they could be introduced as he was sure they would love her as much as he did.

"They're good. Mum has hired a gardener at long last. It's quite a huge garden they've got and it's a big job. Even just cutting the grass is a bit much sometimes. So he starts this week. Dad's thinking about taking early retirement. He's been at the bank for nearly 30 years now so I think he fancies being a gentleman of leisure." Charles laughed looking between Molly and the road ahead.

"My Dad loves being a gentleman of leisure. I think he's perfected the whole routine by now. The only thing he's ever done over 30 years is order my Mum about." Molly sniffed out under her breath. Charles looked over to her at the mention of her parents. From various things she'd said to him, he could tell that they had a strained relationship. He wished there was something he could do as he enjoyed such a great one with his own parents but didn't want to interfere.

"Well Miss Dawes, sorry to interrupt your musings but we are here." Charles indicated left off the busy main road and turned into a narrow tree lined lane.

"You're not bringing me here to kill me, are you?" Molly laughed. "It's really narrow, ain't it? Are you sure the car will fit through?

"Course it will. If not I'll just say that my gorgeous girlfriend forced me to give her a test drive and drove into some bushes so just blame her."

"Hey, you can't say that." They both laughed with Molly hitting Charles playfully on the arm.

The lane opened out to a huge lake surrounded by beautiful grassland with a couple of oak trees and bushes dotted around. There were a few lily pads on the water's surface with dragonfly darting between them. The sun was setting slowly casting a orangey hue to the area.

Charles pulled up in the car and ran round and opened Molly's door for her. As she stepped out, he took her hand. "This is absolutely gorgeous. It's so quiet and peaceful here. How did you know about this place?"

"Well it took a bit of searching but I wanted to find somewhere that was like the pictures you create." He let go of Molly's hand and gazed softly at her as she walked slowly towards the lake, picking a leaf from the nearest tree and spinning it round in her fingers. He loved how she took so much pleasure from the simple things in life, such as trees, the countryside, the different colours that the sun creates when shining through things. Her passion radiated through the paintings she created at home.

Charles opened the car boot and lifted out a picnic basket, blanket and a cool box.

"Well Madam, I thought we could do a bit of outdoor dining today. It's a lovely warm evening."

He laid out the picnic blanket and proceeded to unpack the basket and cool box.

Molly turned and walked back towards Charles and sat down on the blanket. Smoothing out her skirt as she sat. She looked at him and stroked his arm as he continued working.

"You always know how to surprise me, don't you? Careful though, I could get used to this sort of thing."

"Well, there's worse things to get used to. Anyway what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't try to impress you? Champagne?" Charles pulled a bottle out of the cool box with 2 glasses.

"I don't think I've had champagne before. Yes, please. Just look at this spread too. I won't be able to eat for a week after this."

Charles had indeed gone above and beyond with his outdoor dining. There was a selection of cold meats, salads, some cheese, fresh bread, mini sausage rolls and prawn cocktail flavoured crisps as he knew Molly loved them, a couple of desserts, with some bottled water in case they were thirsty if they took a short walk.

"Cheers. Here's to a lovely evening." Charles said as they both clinked their glasses together. As they began to eat, he briefly thought to himself he could never imagine doing something like this with Rebecca. She couldn't stand doing something so simple and intimate. No doubt her mobile phone would ring every few minutes with a "dahling" friend telling her the latest gossip about something inane but to her would be so very important.

No, the happiness he had experienced in his life since knowing Molly had been significant. As he would admit, in previous years, he had enjoyed the parties and social lifestyle he had with Rebecca but in reality it was an empty false world. Yes, he still loved his design job but he needed personal happiness to make his being complete.

 ** _And that began and ended with Molly Dawes._**

 **2 Hours Later**

Molly was lying on the blanket with her head resting on Charles legs while he was sitting up and stroking her hair. They were listening to the sound of the birds singing in the tops of the trees. The light was dying for the day and the sky was a mixture of deep purple and red fluffy lines in the sky. Molly was watching the deep shards of light peeping through the holes of the leaves on the trees. A shadow was beginning to creep over the couples faces as they lay together.

"Have you seen that bird over there?" Molly pointed over in the direction of a lone bird that flew over and landed on the grass near to a huge green bush with purple flower heads all over it. "It's called a blackcap. If you look on his head he's got what looks like a black cap on but the female has more of a chestnut coloured cap. It's called a "northern nightingale" because of its singing voice. I bet you didn't know that". Molly looked up at him and winked. She loved to tease him with her beginners knowledge of wildlife.

Since moving to Harpenden and having her own garden, she had definitely a little more knowledge than she used to have, mostly garnered from a handbook, from seeing birds flying into her garden and various other wildlife that would frequent her little piece of solitude.

"No. I did not know that." Charles chuckled quietly looking proudly Molly's eyes, her green irises so vivid in the dying light. "You're like my little encyclopaedia, aren't you?

"Yeah, I suppose I am but don't get me to spell that word though." Molly laughed at herself while looking up at Charles face.

"Well I know a word that I do like to spell." Charles had a mischievous glint in his eye as he raised his knees which meant Molly's face was lifted up. She put her hand under her head, looking up and being mesmerised by his beautiful brown eyes, drinking all of Molly in. Her long hair splayed on his legs and down to the luscious grass underneath.

"Which word is that then?"

"B. E. A. U" with each letter he said quietly, he lowered his face closed to Molly's mouth until she could feel his breath upon her lips and face. "T. I. F. U. L" As soon as his chosen word was spelt, he softly kissed Molly's lips with his thumb stroking her jaw and his long fingers stretching behind her neck. His lips felt warm and inviting. She lifted her right arm and plunged her fingers into the curls on his head, the feel of it like velvet running through her hands.

As Molly's lips opened further to invite him in, he softly pushed his tongue into her mouth, seeking companionship of hers. Charles groaned, making a low rumble in his throat. Molly thought he tasted wonderful. A mixture of half a glass of champagne that he had drank mixed with the warm sensation of his being. After kissing gently but seductively for what felt like a lifetime, they slowly pulled apart, foreheads touching.

"Would you like to dance?" Charles got up, gently moving Molly and walking backwards with a smirk on his face.

"What, here? It's gotten pretty dark now and we have no music." Molly looked around but saw that the light from the rising moon was dancing on the water's surface.

"Not so dark now." Charles came back holding a dozen tea lights in his arm and a lighter. She watched him place the lights haphazardly on the ground around where they were sat and lit each one in turn.

"Mr James, what happens if I stand on one of those doing my Strictly routine?" She laughed, feeling her heart skip a beat as she realised she had never danced outside before especially somewhere so open.

"We're going to dance the old fashioned way. Trust me and hold onto me. I've got you." Charles took a small remote out of his pocket and pressed a button which made an in-car stereo system come to life.

Charles took Molly's right hand in his and placed her left hand on his shoulder while his right hand wound its way round her waist. As soon as the song started to play, she instantly remembered it. It was Billie Holiday and The Very Thought Of You.

"I remember this. How did you think of it?" Molly thought back to when she first heard this song and longed to move slowly on a dancefloor in Charles arms to it, looking into his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes. Her wish had come true but instead of a dancefloor, they were surrounded by Mother Nature in the most beautiful of surroundings.

"I remember everything about our first date." Charles said, biting his bottom lip. "Especially that photo booth that took ages to work." He smirked briefly before they moved slowly in a loving silence just drinking in the moment that Molly wished would never end. The tea candles giving off a soft cream glow on the young couple.

They had danced together through quite a few Billie Holiday songs but they hadn't noticed. Molly loved how the old fashioned songs sounded and imagined a wartime couple dancing like this to the recent song of the times. She was remembering things from their first date too that she was sure would be etched in her memory for a long time.

 ** _An hour later_**

The music stopped and Charles kissed Molly's hand. Even though it was getting late, the evening was still humid with moonlight illuminating their faces.

"Thank you for dancing with me. I hope you enjoyed it."

"Do you even need to ask Charles? It was perfect. All of it. Just perfect." She could feel tears prick the back of her eyes at how magical the evening had been. It felt out of this world and knew that when she would tell Joanna about it, who was an incurable romantic, she would be extremely envious.

"Come on, we'd better head back. It's getting late and don't want you getting a chill. Get in the car and I'll pack up."

"Okay". Molly leant forward and kissed his lips briefly and headed over to the shining new vehicle.

She pressed the button on the car door to rise up and she settled herself into the cool leather of the car's sports seat and took a deep breath.

Just as she had settled and closed the door and looked outside at Charles blowing out the tea lights and packing up the blanket, he received an incoming call on his mobile which was ringing through the car stereo system.

Molly didn't know which buttons to press on the complicated looking controls but she instantly saw a name appear: **Rebecca Mobile.**

A quiet voice came though the speakers which made Molly's heart sink and her breathing start to quicken. Her eyes couldn't stop looking at the name in front of her.

 _ **"**_ _ **Hi Charles, sorry to call you so late but (sigh) I need to talk to you. I want to explain a few things. But I love you. I'll never stop loving you. I want you to know that. Please call me when you can. Bye."**_

 **** **A/N:** **Poor Molly! Hope you like this chapter. This story is kind of growing arms and legs a bit with the plot. There may be a couple of minor bumps in the road but that's life. I won't let anything too bad happen to our favourite couple. I don't own anything regarding songs but I do love Billie Holiday. I should point out I have no knowledge of wildlife or plants I'm afraid. Any description is simple courtesy of good old Google.**

 **Very disappointed about no Molly in Series 2 of OG. Hopefully TG will give us a couple of cameo scenes of CJ/BA together for the ones who are still too obsessed with this couple ie: me.**

 **Last point:** **I thought I'd share a song I love for CJ & Molly but especially imagining CJ driving his sports car looking all masculine is Muse: Mercy. ****Thank you for the lovely comments for previous chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm just really tired. I want to go to bed." Molly looked out of the window into the darkness, blinking tears that she knew were ready to fall. She desperately needed to get home. She just wanted to close the door on this messed up end of the evening. She couldn't believe how wonderful everything had been. Perfect in fact with the man who she loved so much and or so she thought loved her back. But her head was spinning with the sound of Rebecca's voice:

 ** _I love you_**. **_I'll never stop loving you._**

Molly thought how could she have been so naive? Maybe she was only given a chance to live a love for a few months that she was never supposed to have for a lifetime? Maybe Charles thought of her as a rebound? Someone for him to bother with until Rebecca came running back?

After all he was an extremely successful executive high flyer in an internationally renowned motorsports company. From one of the photos of Rebecca that Charles had packed away in drawers, that Molly found by accident one day, his wife looked like a model and exuded confidence by dominating the shots that were taken of her. Charles and Rebecca initially looked like the dream team. But they were now separated so all wasn't that perfect. Charles unhappiness when he first met Molly was testament to that. She wanted to help heal him with an all-consuming love she never knew she possessed. All the time she was spending with Charles, she wouldn't let doubts creep into her mind that he was too good for her. Joanna wouldn't let her either.

However, Molly sometimes did have a confidence problem deep down. She had no doubt it was from spending her childhood watching the way her mother was always dictated to by her father and any dreams Belinda had for herself, quickly papered over. Although when Molly was growing up and telling herself she would try and find her own happiness personally and professionally and never look back until she found it, at certain times (her ex-boyfriend cheating being one), a niggling thought would creep into her mind that maybe finding happiness in all areas of her life might be just a pipe dream.

Molly could feel Charles looking at her and trying to drive at the same time. She didn't want to look at him in case she cried and couldn't stop.

"Molly, please. Something's happened. I know you. Please tell me?"

"Nothing's happened. Give it a rest, will you? I'm just shattered" Molly could feel her breathing getting quicker and put a finger on her wrist to check her pulse. She felt like she could pass out at any second.

"Look, you've hardly spoken since I've packed the car up. Is it something I've done?" Charles voice was higher than normal and she could hear his mouth was dry and the sound of him exhaling a breath. "If you didn't like the food I brought or if you were bored, tell me and we can do something else this weekend. Whatever you like. Just Molly, don't shut me out." Charles tried to put his hand on her leg and rub his thumb up the outside but she moved it by shuffling further in the direction of the car door.

There was complete silence from both of them for the remainder of the car journey. Charles didn't know what to say and didn't want to say the wrong thing in case he made things worse.

Molly kept it together and when they were nearing Harpenden, she got her house keys out of her bag ready in her hand so she could jump straight out when they reached her house.

"Molly. Listen to me. Can I come in? We need to talk. I'm so worried."

"No. I'm going to bed. Are you not listening to me? That's your problem. You think just because you've got a posh job and that, you can click your fingers and get people to do whatever you want?" Molly spat the words out at him. She looked at him very briefly. His face was illuminated by the bright white lights on the dashboard. He had a deep frown set between his eyebrows and his brown eyes looked pained and disbelieving.

She didn't know whether to feel sorry for him or not as even after the events of this evening, could she be over-reacting? She wasn't sure yet. Looking at him, she still longed to run her hand through his hair, kiss his beautiful lips and stroke his eyelids and his long lashes but for tonight, the shutters were coming down to protect herself before the potentially inevitable heartbreak. Right now, she was too tired to think and didn't want to make the situation worse.

"I'll ring you tomorrow Molly. Please answer your phone." Charles called after her as she opened the car door.

"I'll see." She never looked back.

**OG**

Molly shut the front door behind her all the while hearing Charles car engine getting quieter as he drove away. She threw her bag on the floor and slid her back down the door, crying endless salty tears of despair, anger with herself and disappointment.

**OG**

Charles shut the front door behind him and walked over to the huge leather couch that was in the corner of the room and sat himself down carefully trying to run his mind over events of this evening but he couldn't think of any one thing that could have sparked things off to go dramatically wrong. He could still feel her on his fingertips as they danced together in the dying light surrounded by nature. It was sheer bliss. He knew it was another memory that would stay with him all his days. He was massively conflicted. As he sat he saw the red beep on the phone handset signalling a voicemail. Hoping it would be Molly, he jumped to press the replay button but he put his head in his hands when he heard the full message.

 ** _"_** ** _Hi Charles. I was hoping I could catch you at home as you're normally in at this time. I've been thinking. I need to talk to you. You're still a part of me and I can't live without you. I know we can try again somehow, baby. I can change. Please call me back. I don't want to talk to this machine so I'll try your mobile now in case I can catch you on it."_**

He knew for a fact Molly must have somehow heard Rebecca's mobile phone message. It could only have been when he was packing the car up as his mobile was set up through the sound system. Perfect fucking timing.

**OG**

Charles sat outside Molly's house tapping his fingers on the steering wheel of the car. He wasn't sure what to do next. He had knocked on her door several times but there was no answer so he sat down on Molly's beloved old style wrought iron garden seat and waited for over an hour.

He rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He hadn't slept a wink all night. It was a very warm evening so he lay naked on top of the sheets while having a huge portable fan on angled at the bed. He stared at the ceiling for hours on end thinking how fate had acted so terribly last night.

Why, oh, why did Rebecca have to ring at the same time Molly was in the car? He desperately didn't want Molly to get the wrong idea and think that Charles had even the slightest idea of getting back with Rebecca. He wasted a good few years of his life living like that and didn't see how a woman such as Rebecca could or would ever change. He was with Molly now. A beautiful, intelligent, loving, caring person who had a wonderful sense of humour not to mention a figure that was stunning with curves in all the right places. Lady Luck had smiled down on him and allowed him to meet this lady, the love of his life, on a packed commuter train. And it all began by picking up a painting that was on the floor.

 ** _I should've had that picture framed, Charles mused to himself._**

He remembered that Molly was going to Joanna and David's for a couple of hours this morning as Matthew had a school play with the theme being Superheroes and he needed the trousers on his outfit being taken up a few inches. Joanna wasn't very good at sewing or altering clothes.

He put his hand in his pocket and felt the front door key for Molly's house. She had given him a copy last week in case he ever needed it or if Molly lost hers. He decided to go and wait inside.

Molly had made this 2 bedroom house her own. It was fairly run down when she was brought to see the house by David, but together they saw the potential the property had and therefore Molly bought the house for a bargain price given the area it was situated in. David knew plumbers, plasterers and electricians with him being in the housing trade. After a month or two of renovations, it just needed a lick of paint. And this was where Molly came in, as she loved painting and interior design.

Opening the front door, Charles was immediately surrounded by the feel of Molly. The walls of the interior of the house was a bright white colour with various cream shades of painted antique furniture in each room helped in contrast by either light blue accessories in the bedrooms, greens and light browns in the living room or coral and light coffee shades in the kitchen. Molly proudly used to say to Charles that her decoration ideas gave a contemporary twist whilst keeping the old style feels of the property in place. Charles would kiss the top of Molly's head and say he was proud of his little pocket rocket which won him a playful elbow in the ribs.

But there was no doubt in the paintings that Molly created was where Charles was absolutely stunned. They were all hanging on Molly's living room and hallway walls. He knew nothing about painting and watercolours but the beautiful images she was able to create were astounding. Be it images of the countryside, a vast beach scene or a pictures of real people eg: of a woman and her child playing together, or of a young couple bundling up against the cold, walking on a winter's morning. Anything her mind could conjure up and how she created her pieces with wondrous colours and textures was unlike anything Charles had seen. It was as if her pictures could draw you in and you could spend any amount of time being lost in her minds creation.

Molly dismissed any praise from anyone and just would say "S,alright I suppose. It's just something to do before I go to bed or waiting for my tea to be cooked." It was only Charles and Joanna who had seen these pictures separately and they had both tried to persuade her to show her pictures in a gallery somewhere as they were sure she could garner major interest but these notions were instantly dismissed by Molly.

"Who'd want to see these when you've got loads of more interesting offerings out there. Now I love to see some others. Like some great ones I've seen in galleries in the city. Besides I've only got crappy pencils, paints and that. If you're gonna show your stuff off, you need to get all the bells and whistles and it costs a fortune to get all the best painting equipment. I couldn't justify that." And quite often the subject was closed.

Charles was pulled from his musings while sitting on Molly's settee thumbing through magazines on Molly's coffee table, when he heard the front door open.

"Hi." Charles sat up straight and rubbed his palms up and down his legs nervously. He decided against hugging Molly in case she needed to get some things off her chest first.

"Hi." Molly put her keys and bag down on the floor and sat down on the opposite side of the sofa to Charles.

"Look I let myself in because I'm worried sick, Molly. I know you heard Rebecca's voice message. But please take no notice of that. She can ask for things to be back how they were all she wants but..."

"Charles". Molly interrupted. Her face was serious and she was holding her hands tightly in her lap.

"No let me finish. What I have with you is special and I don't want any misunderstandings..."

"Charles, will you listen? I've got something to tell you. It's really important."

"What is it?" Charles chest heaved thinking that Molly had been thinking about what happened and was making the mistake of ending things. **_Please God no._**

"I got a phone call this morning from a woman called Amanda. She works for that gallery that Joanna gave me the details of. You know the one where they've got various art exhibitions on throughout the year? Well I never mentioned this to you but I emailed her some photos of my work. I thought nothing ventured, nothing gained so she got back to me and said they've got a 2 month slot free coming up but I need to move my work and set up there. Charles do you get what I'm saying?"

Charles felt so unbelievably proud of Molly. He knew that she should take this opportunity with open arms. "I think it's fantastic news, sweetheart. You gonna knock them dead up there plus you could make lots of useful contacts. I was just looking at them again when I came in. I want you to be brilliant. When do you have to go?"

"Monday." Molly said with trepidation. "I'm shitting myself but after talking to Joanna about it, because she knows the gallery quite well, she thinks it's great too as they don't often give opportunities like this to unknowns."

"You won't be unknown for long. You'll see." Charles held Molly's hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. He reached up and kissed her forehead. "Do you want me to do anything for you?"

"No. It's okay. I've got a few things to run around and sort out today but can I meet you later?"

"Of course. Just give me a call."

Molly wasn't really touching Charles. Her head was all over the place. She still was unsure about last night and how to feel but she had to put that at the back of her mind. This new opportunity was something sudden but felt so exciting and hoped that Charles would understand and support her which she was sure that he would. He left the house giving her a loving smile and walking backwards down the garden path until he came to her gate which closed smartly behind him.

**OG**

Molly was running down Harpenden High Street buying some important essentials to take away with her. She had called into an estate agents office as she needed the contact details and some information about their branch in Scotland which happened to be within a couple of miles of the gallery. She needed the details as she knew she would be renting somewhere for a while in that area. She did feel like she was walking on air today. A buzzing anticipation building in her stomach. She had just crossed the road to go to the Bakers for some bread when she saw a sight that turned her stomach and made the blood drain from her head. She dropped all of the papers she was carrying onto the pavement.

Charles was sitting in a café talking earnestly with a blonde woman while the woman leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and stroked it. Then she wrote something down on a piece of paper. She guessed the lady was Rebecca.

 ** _I knew it. Charles is meeting her telling her he wants to be with her still. I knew something had to be going on._**

Charles looked and saw Molly out of the corner of his eye. He got up and ran for the door. "Molly! Molly!" but it was too late. She had disappeared.

 ** _A/N:_** **** ** _Sorry to leave it there but I thought the chapter was a bit of a long one._** **** ** _Stay with me on this story as please remember I do adore happy endings. As a warning, there are a couple of swear words too in this chapter. Also I just want to say a big thank you to the ladies on MN for the support as my family's going through a rough patch at the moment. Thanks to everyone for the lovely reviews regarding the story so far. It means a lot._**


	8. Chapter 8

Charles ran round the main street corner faced with a barrage of Saturday shoppers. He tried to run in between people without knocking anybody over, cursing under his breath where all these fucking mothers with prams had suddenly come from, while desperately looking for a sight of her until he ran to the main crossroads on the outskirts of town but there was nothing. She could have gone either of four possible directions. He stood still and shouted her name repeatedly, hoping that somehow she may hear him.

"Lost your girlfriend, mate?" A man was standing outside a local pub, smoking a cigarette watching this small dramatic display and finding it quite amusing.

Charles bent over and put his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath, looking sideways and giving daggers at the person who thought he could take the piss. He thought to himself that luck was dead set against him and Molly with this latest misunderstanding. But it was such an easy misunderstanding to make. He couldn't blame Molly for thinking the worst. It looked very dodgy. Rebecca all of a sudden trying to be an affectionate person and persuading Charles to try again just as Molly appeared.

He thought he was being clever by arranging to meet Rebecca somewhere public to get her to sign the divorce papers and that it wouldn't be at the home they once shared, so that memories wouldn't be dragged up for Rebecca and make it harder for him to get her out of the house. He was right and knew she would persuade him to try again judging by her voice messages but he was going to be emphatic that it was never going to happen and so meeting in the local café kind of assured Charles that a neutral place might make him feel more in control of the situation.

As Charles began to walk dejectedly back to the café, after trying Molly's mobile several times but it was going direct to answerphone, he linked his hands and rested them behind his head. What could his next plan of action be? He needed to get these damned papers sorted and get to Molly's this afternoon. He couldn't stop her going away as this was such a brilliant career opportunity but he couldn't let Molly leave without clearing the air, telling her how much he loved her and wanted to be with her even though it may have seemed otherwise. It should hopefully be okay. **_Shouldn't it?_**

***** OG *****

Rebecca sat looking at Charles walk back in the café. She was shocked when he got up and ran out shouting another woman's name. She hoped that he wouldn't find anyone else since their separation. "Was that someone special?" nodding her head towards the door.

"Not anymore if the past couple of days are anything to go by thanks to you" Charles couldn't help the hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Did she listen to my messages to you?"

Charles nodded, playing with the edges of the menu on the table. "Yes, she did and today with you kissing my cheek. I shouldn't have let you do that."

"Then why did you?"

"Hoping that this meeting would end quickly and with civility." Charles hated confrontation and worried in case today raked over the past and re-opened old wounds.

"You can't blame me for trying to get something back we both had and I know I still want?"

"That's just it 'what you want', it's never about what anybody else wants. Sorry Rebecca but I'm moving on. I need to kick start my life again. I'm sick of living in the shadows. I want to be loved truly and completely. I never had that with you for a long time and you know that." Charles looked at her straight in the eye imploring her to understand.

"Look, I know I seem materialistic and selfish but I'm still the same girl underneath that you met all those years ago." Rebecca leaned forward in her chair and tried to hold his gaze as long as she could.

"No, you're not. Picture this, if we had the whole family thing. You're a housewife, looking after the 3 kids, going to parks, playdates and the like, you would feel suffocated especially when you're getting phone calls from your friends inviting you to this do or that do. After a few years you couldn't bear to stay. You'd be out the door like a shot. I want to be a father so badly with someone who wants to be a mother too."

A silence fell on the table that lingered while Rebecca gathered her thoughts. Charles seemed different these days. More self-assured in his personal life, willing to fight for what he seemed to want and what would make him happy. She realised that it would no longer be her. She couldn't deny him happiness. They had happy times together but were definitely two different people by the end. Maybe the miscarriage that they endured a couple of years ago was the beginning of their wake-up call they both needed.

"Maybe you're right. Like I said you deserve to be happy and have children. I don't really think I'm mother material at the moment." She sniffed out a laugh trying to maybe inject a little humour. "You've had these papers drawn up quick." Rebecca pulled out the documents from underneath her napkin.

"I just thought it would be better all round to get it out of the way."

"Here, they're signed." She pushed them across the table in Charles direction. "Do you want my new address and mobile number then? I wrote them down before you ran out."

Charles skimmed his eyes over the document, relieved that the important part was over with.

"I'll take your address but not your mobile number. I think phone calls have caused enough problems recently, don't you? He half smiled, grateful that Rebecca was fair and that he would soon feel fresh cool air outside as the heat inside was so stifling. "Any problems, me or the solicitor will write to you."

"Fair enough. Well, take care, Charles." With an earnest look, she got up and walked out, the smell of Chanel perfume hanging in the air.

He sat back in his metal chair, taking a deep breath and looking towards the ceiling. A tremendous burden was lifted off his shoulders with regards to Rebecca but with papers signed, he could finally close the door on the last 9 years of his life and hopefully Molly would still be willing to spend the rest of hers with him.

***** OG *****

Charles drove the short distance to Molly's house, the later afternoon sun peeking through the leaves on the trees creating thin shafts of light shining down onto the roadside. He loved summer days like this and it reminded him of the beautiful walks him and Molly would take. He would sometimes end up giving Molly a piggyback if she started to have aching feet or most of the time, they would walk arms wrapped around each other. Molly's head nestled deeply into Charles chest listening to his heartbeat, or other simple things such as making daisy chains together before eating ice creams lying in a field. These memories filled Charles' days with a sense of calm and deep love for her.

Molly's garden had plenty of daisies growing, Charles noticed as he stood and rang her doorbell. He hoped they would have a chance to make more soon. He turned his head and studied the white paintwork of her front door wondering after ringing for the fourth attempt why Molly wasn't answering. She would surely have come back here?

He opened the door using the key he had been given and in the space of a couple of hours, he could see just from stepping in the front door that Molly had begun to pack up the belongings and bits of furniture that she wanted to take with her. The house seemed different somehow that Molly was leaving. It seemed cold and unfriendly. Maybe it was his imagination but he felt she was slipping away from him and it scared him.

After a few moments of working out whether to leave Molly a note, he thought it best to leave it overnight and he would try and contact her again tomorrow. As he stepped out of the house, Molly's next door neighbour, Mr Tebbutt was standing with his hands resting on the small fence separating the two gardens looking at Charles with a serious look in his face. He was an old style gentleman and there weren't many of them left Molly would say. He was in his late seventies, he was always smartly dressed, wore a jacket and cravat most days, and would take his Panama hat off to any lady when they walked past him on his way into town. He was a widower and like Molly, took pride in his garden and would spend many an hour tending to it. Molly got on very well with Mr Tebbutt and since Charles came into Molly's life, the three would sit in the warm evening sun and would share a bottle of wine.

"Evening Charles. How are you this day?"

"Evening Sir". Charles became fond of this man in the short space of time that he had known him. He liked to talk to Mr Tebbutt in a way that two gentlemen would talk to each other. "I've been better. Have you seen Molly?"

"Yes, I have. She was very upset when she came home a couple of hours ago."

"Thought she may be. She saw something today that she may have jumped to the wrong conclusions about. It wouldn't be too hard not to though." He sat down on the familiar garden bench and ran his fingers through his hair exhaling a deep breath and he was worrying deeply.

"She hadn't really told me much but Molly doesn't. She can be rather a closed book."

"Yes, she can be.

"Being the bearer of bad news is one of life's most cruel moments, Mr James. But one must do his duty. As her friend I will give this letter to you now without further delay. " With a shaking hand, Charles took the envelope and looked at Molly's writing, running his hand over the indentations on the paper. He knew this letter would hold bad news for him.

 ** _Charles_**

 ** _I'm writing this letter to you instead of saying these words to your face as I know you'll come looking for me but I don't want to be found by you. Not ever._**

 ** _How can you let me down like this? How could you string me along these wonderful months where I was the happiest I could ever be and thought I had found my soulmate, someone who I could finally trust and love completely . That's all I've ever wanted. To be with you in such happiness._**

 ** _But know I know it was all a lie with you. You could see how much I loved you. Yes, I loved you. And I would've told you that too but now I realise you were just using me as a bit of skirt until you could get Rebecca back. Were you getting bored because we hadn't had sex yet? I was ready to go to that stage with you and you know how much I have to trust someone before I could do that? How could you arrange to see Mrs Perfect where you know I could walk past you? Were you wanting to rub it in my face? You have taken my heart and ripped it to a million pieces but Charles James, I will not let bastards like you ruin my life. It's mine and I'm gonna live it where I know I'll never see you and will never be reminded of the biggest arsehole I've ever met._**

 ** _Enjoy the rest of your life and know because of you I will never ever let any man close to me again._**

 ** _Molly._**

Charles scrumpled up the letter in his hand , feeling every words written in hatred and held it to his forehead feeling tears pricking the back of his eyes. "It's all a fucking misunderstanding." He looked beside him and saw Mr Tebbutt had joined him on Molly's bench. "She hates me. She can't stand me." Mr Tebbutt put his hand on Charles shoulder.

"In the time short space of time I've known you Charles, I can see that you both love each other deeply. It must be hard making sure your marriage is officially over before progressing things to a higher stage with Molly. That is what I assume what you were doing at the café."

"She told you about that part then. Yes, we were signing the divorce papers. God, if she came round the corner a few minutes later, Rebecca would probably have left the café already and Molly wouldn't have seen her."

"Perhaps if you were to write to her in some months down the line, tell her your version of things and with time she may start to think about what you had together and realise that she has to speak to you again. The problem is she came into this relationship with a lot of insecurities she never knew she had especially with her background. But I refuse to let this blip destroy any future happiness she could have. You know, if I had the chance to spend one more day telling my late wife that I loved her and loved everything about her, I would do it time and again even if it meant I would have to take the horrendous pain of not seeing her after a day."

Charles placed his hand over Mr Tebbutt's that was still placed on Charles shoulder and gave him a half smile. He was very touched by this belief that Mr Tebbutt had in him. And knew that to get Molly back, he would have to be patient and give Molly time to grow and be brilliant especially in her new fantastic job role, then get in touch and explain the truth of what happened and hopefully that would be enough for her to come back to him again. _But he was scared in case that didn't happen._

"I'd better give you her key back but I need to do something first." Charles stood up, shaking Mr Tebbutt's hand and walked slowly down Molly's garden path.

***** OG *****

Molly walked up to her front door, dreading the final packing she would have to do. She hated packing at the best of times, but with what happened yesterday, she felt drained of energy. She spent most of last night crying in Joanna's arms. She should be feeling excited at what was ahead for her and not feel like this. Like her world was torn apart. It didn't help that she could still feel Charles fingers on the palm of her hand and the softness of his full lips on hers and the way his eyes would peer deep into her soul as if she was an open vessel.

She opened her door, picking up the post from this morning carrying it through to her painting room to be added to her paperwork to file away before she left. But as she walked in to the room, she couldn't believe the sight that was before her.

Being lit by the wide shafts of morning sun that were streaming through her blinds were all the painting equipment that she knew she could never afford in a lifetime made by the finest arts suppliers based in Vienna. Made of the most expensive wood, were stood new canvas stands, new display cabinets for all her new artwork she would create, new wooden painting stools instead of the old seat she used with constant squeaky wheels, a complete new set of paints, paper, canvases made of the most sublime material. She couldn't believe this was happening as she ran her finger along the textures of both paper and the finest polished wood. This equipment would have cost tens of thousands. Only artists who were millionaires could afford equipment like this, who have their work displayed all over the world.

She knew instantly who would have done this for her. Charles. She saw a small note resting on the ledge of a side table. It read:

 **Molly**

 **I want you to be brilliant more than anything in the world. These items are just to be used for your first stepping stone into world domination. Do not doubt I love you more than life itself and please continue to believe in your good heart and let it shine.**

 **Charles**

 ** _A/N: So sorry for the delay in writing this chapter and really hope you like it. RL has been busy plus writing 2 one-shots kept me occupied. It may not seem it at the moment but keep believing that I do love happy endings. Thank you for your comments for my previous chapter and for my one-shots. Please continue reviewing._**


	9. Chapter 9

Charles was in his new state of the art minimalist office sitting forward on his wide leather swivel chair facing a 50" interactive projection screen placed on his large desk instead of a standard keyboard where he could work with various screens at once by using fluid hand movements to project graphics of car parts and other work he was dealing with. It took a bit of getting used to, getting to know this new and ultra-modern piece of equipment but he thought he shouldn't feel surprised seeing as his new workplace was ahead of the times being the world's number one sports car manufacturing company. He would laugh to himself and think what Molly would say if she saw him. "You look like Tom Cruise out of that futuristic robot film."

He sat back in his seat and took a minute to look around him. The colour scheme along the walls was gun metal grey and black with a huge "L" shaped black leather settee situated alongside one wall and a 20 seater conference table was positioned at the other side of his office next to an all glass wall overlooking the beautiful Berlin skyline.

Working in this city came as a huge surprise for Charles. Being offered the promotion 6 months ago and a move to the company head office was a shock to him. He was enormously flattered to be picked for this opportunity. His CEO informed him that as he was one of the best car designers in the world, it made sense for him to be part of the cutting edge design team at head office. His new role meant that he would be on hand and therefore be in the perfect position to have the overall say on all vehicles should any important changes be needed, before the cars were assembled by hand as they were so bespoke. The company would also pay for Charles to live in one of the new apartment complexes in the city.

It took a few days for Charles to think about what he should do. Molly had already left Harpenden for Scotland. He decided that he was still of the opinion that he would give her time to let herself get settled in her own new job and didn't want to cause her unnecessary upset especially as she was chasing her dreams. The words in the letter that she had wrote to him **"enjoy the rest of your life and know because of you I will never let a man get close to me again."** still ran through his mind late at night when he was winding down after a long day. The words cut through him like a knife. He couldn't believe how a misunderstanding had caused such pain to both him and Molly. Deep down, he knew, his heart was broken and it had a Molly shaped hole in it. He decided he would accept this new position as hopefully time and distance would be good for them both and when the time was right, hopefully he could make her believe that he desperately wanted to be with her. If any doubts crept into his mind, he kept telling himself he was doing this was for the greater good for them both.

Charles was called from his musings by his secretary who knocked at his door. He knew it would be for his 10.00 meeting. He stood up and took his suit jacket off the back of his chair.

"Come in."

"Excuse me, Sir. Your ten o'clock is here."

"Thank you. I'll be right along."

He shut down his projection screen and opened the top drawer of his desk and took out some paperwork that his clients needed to see. Just as he was closing it, he caught sight of a dried flower tucked into the front page of his diary. He lightly touched the brittle flat petals with the purple colouring faded a long time ago and since turned into a pale brown shade. It was picked when Charles and Molly had their date on the lake after they had danced together. A wide smile spread across his lips at the beautiful memory. He closed the drawer slowly and quietly.

***** OG *****

Molly was sitting on a painting stool putting the finishing touches to one of her latest creations. She was wearing her old long denim shirt that she would wear whenever she was working and it didn't matter how much paint she got on herself. Her glossy brown hair tied up in a loose pony tail.

She sat in a light, airy room partitioned off from the main foyer of the art gallery. This room was classed as a small relaxation area. The small number of staff that worked at the gallery would come here for their breaks or lunches and look out through the glass patio doors at a large stretch of greenery leading onto the busy town high street.

Molly was at her most relaxed while expressing the picture in her mind's eye through strokes on put on paper. In fact, her move up to Scotland was relatively stress-free. This surprised Molly considering she didn't know anyone, the area or gallery she would be working in and she would be displaying her work to complete strangers. People's love or criticism of her paintings would test Molly's inner confidence, she thought.

The gallery was a fairly busy one. Molly was one of two artists displaying their work at the same time. The other artist was a 30 year old lady called Maisie whose painting style was plainer and wasn't given to using too many colours favouring a more black and white look. She lived away and only visited the gallery once a week. Visitors who came were either tourists visiting the local area or people from the nearest towns who all had heard about the new exhibitions that were taking place presenting young talent from both Scotland and the UK who had no way to advertise their work. More often than not, any potential customers wanted to speak to the artists themselves while looking at their work. Wanting to know the background or idea why the artist chose a certain theme or what was their thinking when it came to certain colours or textures that had been used rather than just looking at a small information board on a wall.

Molly didn't think she would like the talking part as she found it hard to express her thoughts when it came to her work. There was sometimes no rhyme or reason to it but she still found it incredulous that people were very interested in her. She laughed to herself when one man had asked enthusiastically, "How do you make those textures come out like that, it's like the clouds in this one's gonna jump out at me," stretching his arms right out excitedly with a wide smile on his face, while she thought to herself "Calm down, mate, it's just a painting, you'll give yourself a Julius seizure in a minute."

Molly felt incredibly settled. She had rented a small cottage only a mile from the town. It was a very similar style to where she lived in Harpenden with it being a 2 bedroomed property however the main difference was that it backed onto a large lake that ran along the town and past Molly's house up to the foothills of the mountains in the distance. Her most favourite place to sit was outside on the grass and paint with the sun beaming its rays onto Molly's canvas, giving her the most natural light to express herself by. Mostly, the only noise being the wind catching in the sails of small boats that would go past. The area was surprisingly quiet given its fairly close proximity into town.

Molly named the cottage "Painters Paradise". After careful consideration, it seemed very apt as that was how she saw the place where she lived and they were the same words Charles used to say whenever he walked into her house and her canvases caught his eye.

Recently Molly had a couple of commission requests from America and Italy which stunned her. They originated from people looking on the internet and reading about her talent. She truly felt like she was living her dream and showing the world what she could do. Every time she felt like that, the first thing she would think of was Charles and what he would say if he was with her and how proud he would be of her.

She found herself thinking about Charles in her daily life more and more. She could still feel his arms around her, snuggling into her from behind and nuzzling gently behind her ear and kissing her earlobes which made her melt in his arms. Thinking about her fingers plunging into and playing with his gorgeous curls, her hands running down his face and feeling his solid frame against the softness of her palm. Thinking about him resting his head on her shoulder while he quietly watched her paint, the feeling of his breath on the back of her neck and the smell of his expensive aftershave mingling with the sweet smell of paint was something she couldn't let herself think about too much as she was able to start building up a wall to keep those feelings and memories at bay. They were too painful to relive at a time when she was trying to be brilliant.

She felt as if sometimes she was on a merry-go-round regarding her feelings for Charles. During the day, she would wear a mask of confidence and self-belief, but then she would be reminded of Charles and how he helped her believe in herself when her spirit was ebbing and that he should be a part of this new life she had.

Then at night, she would spend hours thinking of him and how complete and happy her life felt with him and then the pain would start, believing that he hadn't got over separating from Rebecca and when Molly saw them in town, if not already, they were rekindling what they had for the previous 9 years.

But she couldn't hate him, she knew deep down she still loved him and always would. Molly knew that she never gave him a chance to explain himself. Instead of being a coward involving writing a very scathing letter to him and running away to Joanna and David's, she should have sat down in the same room as him and somehow laid everything out as adults and tried to keep anger and hurt at bay.

But she knew it was too late. When she changed jobs, she was given a new mobile. It was at a time when she was hurting so badly and never thought her heart would ever heal again. This could be her chance to start over. Wipe the slate clean and any traces of contact numbers she had for Charles were quickly deleted. She didn't have a great memory for telephone numbers anyway.

She kept in touch with Mr Tebbutt. He was like an adopted grandfather to her. There was no way she would never have him in her life. He still looked out for her even though she was hundreds of miles away. He reminded her continually of the finer points of house security and ensured that every night, she did her checks. It could be classed as annoying but Molly knew that he was worried about her and doing it out of love. Mr Tebbutt also said that Charles visited him a couple of times after Molly had moved away. They would sit drinking wine in the garden and talk of their favourite classical music composer. Molly loved that even with everything that had happened with her and Charles, he still visited their old friend.

Mr Tebbutt didn't tell Molly that Charles had accepted a promotion and a move to Berlin. He didn't want to add further hurt or pain to Molly and thought if Molly and Charles were meant to be, they would get in contact with each other wherever they were in the world.

Joanna and David rang most evenings too, updating her on their daily lives. Matthew's school football team had won their Under 10's league. Emily had started ballet lessons and couldn't wait to show Molly her new costume especially her tiara. Joanna had changed her hours at work so she was at home more. She wouldn't entertain the idea of getting another nanny. Molly was the best and was part of the family. No-one else would ever come close.

David still fantasised about the supercars that Charles would pull up in outside their house and decided that he would definitely get one by the time he was 40. Joanna reminded him that he only had a year to go and would say "good luck with that one, mate." David laughed jokingly saying that he would ask Charles for mates rates at which his wife would say "don't you bloody dare."

They still liked Charles but hoped that he hadn't done anything to hurt Molly and that somehow she could have been mistaken in what she saw. They tried to persuade her to go back home that afternoon as they would be sure Charles was waiting for her and to sort things but looking at Molly breaking her heart in Joanna's arms, and the letter that she had left Charles, there seemed no turning back in this situation. The next day, Molly's mind-set was all about Scotland and the new phase in her life.

***** OG *****

As Molly stood up from her painting stool and washed her brushes in her pot of warm water while having a last look at any touch ups she could do before she classed this picture as finished, the gallery owner walked into the room. Amanda was in her thirties, slim with long blonde hair. She had a vast knowledge of art and loved the idea of meeting these new up and coming artists displaying their work. She had a great sense of humour and had become a good friend to Molly. Having a friend like Amanda was one of the reasons why Molly adapted so well to moving to the new area.

"Hey Molly. How you doing? You finished? I'm gonna lock up in a bit. We've had a bit of a slow afternoon."

"Yeah, Mandy just about. I think this is probably a record for me. It only took a week. Normally takes a good 3-4." Molly put her hand at the bottom of her back and stretched herself gently.

"No rush, Molls. I've said before 'good things come to those who wait."

"Good job my work's all good then." Molly laughed, taking her denim shirt off revealing a plain black t-shirt and jeans underneath.

Amanda laughed too and walked round to the front of the canvas, trying to get a look at this latest creation but Molly stopped her.

"Eh and what do you think you're doing, missus? You know my rules, only when the picture goes on the wall that you're allowed to see it for the first time."

"Still into the big reveal idea are you? Well I'll be good for now but tonight I'm out for a friends' birthday and I promise after a few prosecco's I won't be able to count for my actions then. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"I'm sure. I need a hot bath and an early night." Molly sat down on one of the settees and pulled the bobble out of her hair and ran her hands through her soft waves so it hung loosely over her shoulders.

"Sounds wild. Watch what you're doing for God's sake." Amanda laughed. "Oh by the way, I forgot to say earlier, we've got a charity auction at the end of the month up in Glasgow. We pick a couple of pieces from the young artists that we know and sell them with the proceeds going to a charity of the gallery's choice."

"That sound great. Have you done one before?"

"Yeah, we've done a couple and they've always been a great success. Great turnout too at most of them. Quite a few art collectors came last time to one we did in London. A few galleries are involved in displaying with this. All the details are up on the website if you want to have a look."

"If there's a free bar, I might try and get myself a ticket. I've never been to Glasgow either so a chance for a bit of sightseeing."

"Better try and keep on my good side then. Although I won't be picking the pictures that could be sold. It's some art teacher from some art school somewhere."

"Mm. Oh well something to look forward too then." Molly thought to herself, she must tell Joanna and David about the event. It would be a great opportunity to have a good catch up.

***** OG *****

Charles was about to go back to his apartment at the end of a long day of meetings with overseas clients, developers and suppliers. He sat down on one of the leather settees drinking his last coffee for the day whilst he had a last look at a few things on the internet using his tablet. He loaded one of the websites that he checked regularly and his heart leapt.

He sat forward, his hands starting to shake and he felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he tried to take control of himself and work out what to do next. He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck and drew his hand through the curls that were there. This situation had to be thought through expertly yet delicately. As someone who has to take executive decisions daily, this should be a fairly easy assignment but it could also cost him dearly.

 **A/N: Sorry, it's taken so long to write this chapter. A busy RL recently and a huge bout of writers block is to blame. Hopefully this one reads well. Thanks so much for the reviews for last chapter.**


	10. Chapter 10

Molly sat round the large coffee table, moving forward grabbing the hard plastic handles of the shopping bags down by her legs and making sure that they didn't fall over and block the rather narrow walkway between the seating area and the payment counter.

"Can't believe you let me spend all my money on clothes and make-up." Molly looked smiling across at her good friend. She always wondered how Jo managed to look so effortlessly stylish all the time. Especially running around after the kids and looking after the large house they had.

Molly on the other hand always went for comfy clothes. Mostly jeans and a comfy jumper or t-shirt with converse trainers. But with this weekend being a major event in Molly's career she knew she had to make an effort and shopped at the little boutiques around the town where she lived. She knew she looked good today, wearing a fitted navy blue blazer with a white blouse underneath and fitted blue trousers. She didn't often show off her ankles or feet but she couldn't resist wearing her blue and white strapped sandals with a large heel. Molly thought she may need the extra height if she had to talk to a lot of people who maybe a lot taller than her.

"Don't worry about it, Molls. She spends most of my money all the time." David joked while picking up the menu and feeling a soft slap on the arm from his wife.

"Hey, Mister, I never said anything when you were eyeing up that 50" bleeding 3D TV monstrosity and that would cost an arm and a leg, I bet." Joanna opened her purse and had another perusal of the food and drink the small coffee shop had to offer. "Think I'm just gonna have a latte and a sandwich. Not that hungry really. I think it's with being out and about without the kids and enjoying yourself, you never think about food."

"Well, I'm gonna have a small glass of white wine. I could do with something to steady my nerves." Molly noticed the small wine selection when they entered the coffee shop.

"You sure that's all you want, Molls?" Joanne saw Molly nod in agreement and walked to the counter to place the order.

David picked up on Molly's rising nerves. "You'll be great, Molls. It's not like you've got that much to do, is it?

"Thanks, mate. I'll sit with me feet up, should I"? She laughed, raising her eyebrows jokingly.

"No, what I mean is. All the art types'll be doing all the big speeches. You just get to see the joy of your work up on stage and making some serious cash for a good cause. Mark my words. Honestly Molly, you're a cracking little artist, you know. These people'll see that. And when you're rich and famous, I can be your business manager." David sat up straight, pretending he was adjusting his bow tie and curling his bottom lip while looking towards the ceiling.

"I don't know about that, you prannet. It's just weird. I know strangers see my work every day when they come to the gallery but, I dunno, it just seems more of a big deal somehow just in case my work does get picked and there'll be loads of pressure on me." She rested her elbows on the table running her fingers nervously along her hairline feeling a ball of nerves start to build in her stomach.

David looked squarely at Molly and rested his arms on the table while taking one of Molly's hands in his. "Look, how many times do we tell you this. Believe in yourself and what you're capable of."

Molly looked away from David's face and bit her bottom lip briefly and absent-mindedly looked at the marbled flooring, memories flooding back how Charles used to tell her the same thing. How she was brilliant, she had a gift with her painting and how brilliant she was with children but how she needed to let her inner confidence which he knew was growing shine through more to achieve whatever she could put her mind to.

She was watching David talking to her but she had couldn't hear any sound as all she could think of was Charles. How his beautiful chocolate brown eyes mixed with his gorgeous voice, warming her soul with his words of encouragement while stroking her skin tenderly . But she knew she had to stop thinking about him now. She couldn't let this weekend be ruined by thinking about the past and what could've been.

Today she had to be on her A-game as it was so important to her to take any opportunity that arose which could further her painting career hopes.

"I was saying you're wine's there, Molls. You look a million miles away. It'll get warm if you leave it there much longer".

"Sorry Jo. I was just thinking. Look, thanks the both of you for everything, for coming up here to see me and coming to this thing. It means a lot." She took quite a large mouthful of the cool liquid, letting the alcoholic fruity taste tingle on her tongue before swallowing .

"Course Molls. We wouldn't miss this for the world. Oh, did I give you Mr Tebbutt's card? It's a shame he couldn't make it but he's had this holiday he's gone on planned for a while." Jo said finishing the last of her latte.

"Yeah, the words were lovely. I really miss him. Even his bleeding lawnmower going off well early in the morning." Molly reached in her handbag and pulled out the 'Thinking of You' card. Taking it out of the envelope, the card had a Van Gogh 'Sunflowers' picture on the front. Opening it, looking again at the incredibly neat hand-writing, it said:

To My Dearest Molly,

Sorry I cannot be with you at this special time in your career this weekend, but I know that the experts will be bowled over by this stupendous talent they have in front of them when they see your work and they **WILL** see your work.

Have faith and know that there are great things ahead for you. Just remember the words that I've told you many a time. 'Write Your Own Story, Be Your Own Hero, Speak Your Own Truth, Live Your Own Dream.'

I will have a glass of Bollinger on ice for you on your return home after your successful adventures and we can raise a toast to my one and only Molly Dawes.

Yours sincerely,

Ever your loving friend.

Mr Tebbutt.

Molly smiled to herself and felt really lucky that she had that man in her life. She also loved the formality of his writing. She never knew his first name but didn't feel that she needed to know. He never told her but he was her old style gentleman and that suited her.

Checking her watch, noticing the auction would start in an hour she thought they'd better make a move.

"Just going to nip to the toilet. We gonna have to go soon." She finished the last of her wine and walked away, hoping her legs would carry her to the ladies, trying not to be nervous about what could lie ahead.

***** OG *****

As Molly walked back out from the cool air of the ladies toilets and felt the warm air instantly hit her from the busy coffee shop, she overheard a conversation she wished she hadn't.

"You didn't say anything, did you? It would really upset her hearing this especially when everything's going so good for her at the moment." Jo looked intently at her husband, touching his arm looking like she needed urgent clarification about something.

"No, haven't said anything, love. But you don't know if it was her you saw. It could've been his family member or something." David reasoned with his wife.

"Not with that registration plate. It's got to have been her. But if he's decided that he wants to be back with her then, it's up to him. He just seems like he's messed Molly around. It's a shame as I really liked him and they looked so perfect together."

"What's this about?" Molly decided to make her attendance known. Her heart beating fast as she knew deep down what the subject matter was.

"Bloody hell, Molls. Nearly gave me a heart attack there. Erm, just…talking about…." Jo looked at David for some back-up but he decided now was a good time to have a look at the internet on his phone wishing he was anywhere else but here, involved in this potential awkward conversation.

"Just….look Molly, I'll just tell you outright and it's nothing really. Remember, we're here for you. Just when we picked up that card from Mr Tebbutt, we drove past Charles' house in Redbourn and we think we saw Rebecca's car outside and someone who I think could have been her going in and out of the house."

Molly was quiet but had reconciled herself a while ago with the fact Charles and Rebecca had got back together or potentially been together the whole time. She still felt tears prick the back of her eyes but remembered Mr Garrett's words 'Be Your Own Hero' and thought that the they deserved each other and that Molly had risen above any hurt their actions had caused her. **If only she could tell her heart that.**

"S'alright. We'd best get going." Molly said quietly, trying to fake the appearance that she wasn't affected by the thought of it.

***** OG *****

Molly and Joanna got out of the taxi with David hanging back inside to pay the driver, both looking up at the imposing building. It was an old Victorian hospital but had been completely renovated inside to a 1920's feel. They had various large rooms that were hired out for board meetings that various companies used but the largest room of all was called 'The Grand Room". The owners had kept all of the original features including huge cornices, a tall stage at the farthest end and two extravagant chandeliers hung from either side of the room giving off a beautiful light into the area. This room was mostly used for events such as various company parties and conferences. There were waiters and waitresses dressed formally, walking around carrying trays of white and red wines.

Molly walked through the main doors and was amazed at the bright white walls and the clean lines of the place and the very high ceilings. She looked down at a waitress walking up to her to offer her a drink.

"White wine, please. Cheers." Molly stood looking at the light reflecting off the glass she was given. "This place is lovely, Jo. Everyone seems to be dressed up pretty smart. I don't think any of the blokes are wearing jeans." She smiled to herself thinking the effort that all these people had made coming to this event for amateur artists really heartened her.

"I know, Molls, good job David didn't come in his jeans. It took a bit of persuading for him to put his decent trousers on. Honestly even though he's in the building trade, he doesn't have to always dress covered in plaster like he's putting up a wall." Molly smirked into her Pinot Grigio.

Molly could feel a tap on her arm and turned round to see Amanda, her boss and friend looking stressed. "Molly, I've been trying to get in touch with you for ages. Have you not hard your phone on? You're work's been picked as part of the auction. It's on the stage now and you're gonna have to do a small speech." Molly could feel her heart start to pound loudly and her hands go clammy. She checked her mobile but it was off. The battery must have died.

"What, you sure? Why, has someone pulled out or something?"

"They've picked a couple of other artists but they really loved your work and the art experts wanted to show someone else who had the casting vote. Lucky I brought some of your collection from the gallery with us. I need you to spend a few minutes thinking what you're gonna say. Just about how you got started in painting, that sort of thing. It's gonna start soon but see what you can do. Sorry Molls just I'm run off my feet here making sure it goes well. There's some good potential buyers here so it could work out really well for the gallery's name too."

"It's alright I'll see what I can do." Molly touched Amanda's hand before her boss walked off trying to speak to a fellow artist. She didn't want to let her boss down but speaking in front of all these people was a real test of her nerves.

"You'll be brill Molly. Honestly, go for it, girl." Joanna winked at her trying to reassure her best friend. The girls hugged and David rubbed Molly's shoulder with a proud smile on his face.

Molly took a deep breath and looked for a seat to start writing some notes.

****** OG ******

Molly sat at the side of the stage with the other young artists while the main speaker was giving his presentation to the assembled audience. He was standing at the front talking very confidently using his hands to project his points. He had a microphone tucked next to his jacket buttons so gave a very clear voice which resonated loudly around the room.

She looked around at the sea of faces at the side of her. There must be about 300 people here Molly thought. She could only really see the tops of people heads but noticed a small group of girls distracted by something walking into the room and giggling to each other before all staring in the direction of whoever had come in. Molly couldn't see who it was by the row of heads to the side of her. She thought to herself 'focus up, Molly. This is a big deal. Sell yourself. Come on. You can do it.'

She missed the beginning of her introduction by the speaker. He had said her name and turned his head towards Molly and was clapping at her expecting her to stand up and take her turn on the stage.

"…Molly Dawes, ladies and gentlemen. Give a very warm welcome to our newest artist here this evening."

She was deafened by the applause as walked up the three steps to the stage all the while staring wide eyed at everyone looking directly at her. To her right were two of her paintings hanging high up on a large wall in the middle of the stage so the crowd had a good vantage point from where they sat.

Molly turned and stood slowly in front of what seemed like a sea of faces. She tried to take a deep breath and wondered how to project her voice well enough even with her microphone tucked onto her white blouse. Her heart was doing somersaults and her mouth was extremely dry. The silence which may have only last a few seconds but to Molly, lasted minutes. She unfolded the piece of paper that was in her hand and took a deep breath.

"Hello. My name is Molly Dawes. I'm an amateur painter. I've been painting on and off since I was about eight or nine years old." She took another breath and continued. "I suppose I started my idea of painting when waiting for my Mum to get my little brothers and sisters ready on a morning and I just picked up pencils and started drawing with those, you know little things, houses, people, anything that just took a couple of minutes, you know, while I was waiting for my Mum."

'Molly, she thought, speak properly, you sound about 7 years old'. She took a look at her notes and tried to remember the words. Speaking off the cuff wasn't working at all for her.

"While growing up, I started being interested in different things and painting wasn't always one of them but when I started working with children as a nanny, colours and textures was always part of my daily routine as the children I looked after loved to paint and express themselves in that way. It kind of gave me more opportunity to practice too. Apart from when the little bleeders would get paint all over their faces and their Mum and Dad's furniture." Molly attempted to laugh but the audience was silent apart from a few people who were clearing their throats. She saw Joanna and David and looked for some sign that she was doing alright but noticed Jo's arm tightly hanging onto her husband's.

She could feel her nerves getting the better of her even more now, wanting to hurry up and get to end of her story.

"Erm, I started to paint even more when I got my own house as I had a spare room that I turned into a painting room and er, started just going with the flow about how I wanted to create scenes in my mind. I didn't really have a plan as such, I just love colour and mixing colours and breathing new life into what little images come into my brain. I suppose depends what space I have left in my nut after a hard day at work." Molly tried to smile again but could have kicked herself for using the word 'nut'.

She could feel people judging her and thinking that she sounded common. Why did she believe that she could belong here in this room of important people? She could never be a famous painter. Not when she can't even deliver a simple speech. After all the man that showed her that she could be whatever she wanted to be, the best thing that had ever happened to her, her rock, her soulmate, she didn't have any more. She couldn't even keep a boyfriend.

Silence was stagnant in the room apart from the muffled laughter of the girls from earlier that were situated in the middle of the seating area. Molly thought if she walked out, nobody would mind and hopefully they would just continue the evening as if nothing had happened and she would just be a cautionary tale of public speaking.

As she felt her shoulders visibly deflate, she heard a voice coming from towards the back of the room. A voice she had heard and knew so well as if it was her own. She tried to look out over the brightness of the stage lighting but she could just make out a shadow walking slowly towards her and stopping.

"I said, I believe in you." Those warm tones. That assured loving voice nearly floored her. It couldn't be him, could it? Why would he be here? She looked and saw him standing in a fitted navy blue suit with a black tie. Noting the crisp white shirt underneath, Molly knew contained a strong chest and a familiar beating heart that steadied her when she was unsure. His face was just as she remembered, his beautiful chocolate brown eyes looking straight at her and his lips turning up slightly at one corner. His dark brown curls styled into a neat side parting that she used to love running her hands through. She knew instantly that she still loved him but she had no right to as he belonged to someone else. Oh why was he here? Even if it was right when she needed him.

"Ch..Charles. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you and tell you how proud of you I was."

"I…I'm trying to do something here."

"I can see that. But I thought maybe I could help you."

"How could you help me? Don't you think you've done enough for me this past year or so? I think I've had quite a lot of your help." Molly was fuming inside. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation in such a public place but the audacity of him to turn up like this, she couldn't understand.

"Molly, please listen to me I've thought of different ways to tell you this but I'm going to come right out and tell you as I feel it in here." Charles pointed to his heart. "Even if it is in front of all these strangers. I need to tell you how happy you made me. How we were meant to be. I've always known that. I've never had that feeling before, but it started that first day we met on the train when I saw you with the drawing I found…."

"Excuse me but I'm here to see some artwork and not an episode of EastEnders." A middle aged man stood up and tried to complain but was shouted down by an elderly lady who was sitting in the front row. "Shut up, you miserable man. I want to see how this lovely young gentleman is going to get his girl back." She sat with a deep smile on her face, making a shooing gesture with her hands as if to say 'continue'.

Charles looked back at Molly. "I should have fought harder for you. Set you straight without any doubt regarding Rebecca's answerphone message and seeing us in town that day. It was killing me knowing that I hadn't explained it property and that you were thinking the worst of me."

"It wasn't hard to think the worst of you, Charles. I'm not daft. I know what I saw."

"Rebecca did want to get back with me, that was why she rang me –yes, but I put her straight when I met her at the café as I wanted her out of my life once and for all. Yes, she tried to kiss me on the cheek but if you'd stayed a second longer, you would have seen me push her away. The divorce is final. the paperwork came through last week."

"But Jo and David saw her at your house the other day. Moving back in or something it looked like."

"No, she would have been collecting the last of her things from my loft. I told her to do it when I was working. I swear on my soul you have been thinking the wrong thing about what was going on."

Charles moved forward towards the light on the stage. His eyes were swimming with tears that he was just about able to keep at bay. "I've sat for months thinking I would let you grow, let your talent shine through and be brilliant at just being you. But I can see looking at what you've done, you've astounded me. What an amazing new life you're building for yourself but I want to be part of that life. I don't want to be a bystander any more. I want you. I want you to let me tell you that I want you with every fibre of my being. I want to be your soulmate again. I don't want any stupid misunderstandings stop us from being together. Being loved by you was my greatest achievement and I can't live without that love, Molly my darling, please, I'm nothing without you. Please can we be everything together?" Charles stood with one leg bent on the bottom step while the other stood firm, his hands trying to make Molly understand how much they needed each other. His eyes pleading.

Molly couldn't believe how quiet the room was and that people were generally interested in their story. A few calls of 'go on lad' and 'aw, he's lovely' came from the crowd.

She wanted to be angry with him still as she was so used to the feeling by now. But seeing him so impassioned, open and emotional, she had to look deep into her heart and see what she could find there but all she could see was him. Charles James. Plain and Simple. He was her everything.

Molly smiled while biting her lip nervously hoping to convey with no words her change of heart to Charles. He understood instantly and looked down smiling widely while raising his eyebrows, looking up and locked eyes intently to his love.

"So I want to say to these good people here tonight that this young lady is extraordinary. Starting with healing a broken man's heart when she met him, loving him and sharing that joy and love around with everyone she knows and ending with her having the strength and bravery to show you her work and as I see it, the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen. She's following her heart and I hope you know that you are witnessing something magical here if she will do me the very very great honour of her becoming my wife?" Charles pulled out a small black box from his jacket pocket and walked up to the top step next to Molly and went down on one knee.

Molly had only just processed the beautiful words that Charles had said, never mind this moment which was like a dream, a fairy tale, one that she hoped that she would never wake up from. The ring was absolutely beautiful, the huge diamonds sparkling in her eyes like rays of light. She knew the answer before she would even need to think about it. Before she had even seen a ring.

Cheers of 'go on Molly' 'you know you want to' and 'say yes' rang out from the crowd. Molly sought out Joanna and David who both looked shell shocked.

"Hang on though." Said Molly with a playful glint in her eye. " I've got a load more painting equipment than I used to have, Charles. Don't know if I could fit it all in your house. We'll have to have an extension built in my house or move somewhere new."

"Move or an extension is fine by me."

"Even if it means getting rid of your thousands of music CD's that you don't listen to?"

Charles smirked to himself. "Even if it means getting rid of my thousands of music CD's that I don't listen to."

"Then Mr Charles James." Molly walked a step closer to him. "My answer is yes, yes with every fibre of my being. I love you."

Charles stood, smiling broadly, letting his tears flow, putting the ring on Molly's finger and they hugged, they hugged each other so tight, they never thought they could let go of each other again. The room erupted into applause and cheers but Molly and James could only hear the beating of their hearts and their souls beginning to feel healed again. The smell of his cologne surrounding her.

Charles moved away and stroked her bottom lip with his finger and bent his head and kissed her softly. His lips feeling warm and moist and then his tongue rolling with hers, rekindling the sensual familiarity they once had.

Molly pulled away slowly, touching Charles' forehead and whispered 'I'm sorry. So sorry for everything."

"Not as sorry as I am. I can't live without you." They smiled a deep and loving smile at each other.

"Now shall we try and finish that speech together?"

***** OG *****

Molly stood on the stage finishing her speech feeling empowered, energy renewed and like a different person. All because of the man whose hand she was holding tightly standing next to her giving her all the support she needed.

"..…so at the end of my story and I'm sure with the events of this evening, it won't be one you'll forget in a while, I hope that the various pieces of work that you see this evening will introduce you to a whole new generation of us who can at last show the outside world what we can do with the help and encouragement of the people we love and who love us in return and also to hopefully raise a lot of money to a very worthwhile cause that our galleries have chosen this evening. Thank you very much for your time."

The room erupted in applause once more and Molly nodded her head and walked off the stage together with Charles. They chose to stand at the side of the room while the rest of the artists talked about their stories somewhat quietly wondering how they could top the dramatic events of the previous speaker.

Molly stood leaning back into Charles' firm and solid body feeling his warmth permeating through her bones with his arms around her shoulders. She wondered how she ever lived without this. Without the feeling of him. She could see his head ducking down beside her cheek and brushing against her skin lightly. Seeing his long dark eyelashes closing and opening softly, she could tell she was in danger of falling in love with this man more than ever.

***** OG *****

The two couples walked out onto the small terrace outside 'The Grand Room'. It was getting dark outside now and the large array of fairy lights that were scattered around the small seating area, set a beautiful backdrop against the dark city landscape.

"Well Molls, this evening's not gonna be one I'm gonna forget in a hurry. Your heroics certainly livened up proceedings in there." David smiled at put his hand on Charles' shoulder.

"You're not wrong there, mate. I thought I totally mucked it all up at the beginning but it ended up being the best night of my life." Molly stared lovingly at Charles and feeling her engagement ring on her finger.

"Give me another look, Molls. It's beautiful Charles. It really is. You've chosen well there." Joanna holding up Molly's hand and lightly skimming her finger over the stunning piece of jewellery.

"Yes. I have. I've chosen very well indeed." Charles replied, staring deeply into Molly's eyes, with her knowing that he wasn't referring to just the ring.

"Congratulations again, mate. And you Molls didn't I tell you, your work would be well received. What was the total again, Charles, mate?"

"Well altogether the grand total was about £40,000 and just for Molly's work alone was about £10,000 of that amount. I'm very proud of you, Molly. You should be too." Charles kissed the top of Molly's head.

"I know. I can't believe it really. They were all bidding like crazy, I thought some of them had forgotten to breathe in between bidding." Molly laughed. "But I think Amanda's really pleased though. Especially for the exposure for the gallery and the proposal half way through will keep people talking for ages."

"Well Molls, what can I say when the feeling takes you, you've just gotta go with it." Charles bit his lip and putting a hand out and stroking the side of her cheek.

"Yeah but flying hundreds of miles like you did to come out here. Can't believe you work all the way out there. And you don't mind moving back over to the UK again?"

"Molly, I told you, I would leave my job for you. I would do anything you wanted me to. This is it for me." Charles bent his head placing both his hands on Molly's face and passionately kissing her. The warmth of his strong tongue seeking hers and stroking it as if their small body parts were doing their own dance of love. Charles groaned as Molly deepened the kiss even further, pressing her body against the huge swelling in his groin.

Joanna and David walked away silently, letting the two lovebirds continue their happy moment in private, feeling so happy for the couple and that Molly truly did have her happy ending that she deserved so much.

Molly and Charles slowly pulled apart. She moved herself to stand in front of him as they both stared out at the beautiful view in front of them. Charles' hands brushing up and down her arms before coming to rest around her waist.

"Would you like to be my PA if I become a rich and famous artist then?" She smiled looking at the stars dancing in the night sky.

"Mm. Depends on what the pay is? If I have to wear a skirt and blonde curly wig then maybe not." Charles smirked into Molly's hair. "But if it's in sexual favours and also being with the love of my life, then it's a definite yes."

"One out of two ain't bad. I'm no good at returning favours, mind but being with you for the rest of my life? mmm.. I could live with that knowledge, I think." Molly winked up at Charles thinking how very lucky she was and would never ever let any of her silly doubts or insecurities ruin the happy picture she had painted in her mind of her life with this man.

They grinned at each other turning to look out at the beautiful skyline once again.

 **A/N: Hope you loved this chapter. It will be the last one, I'm afraid. I think I've given it the right ending for our favourite couple. This story has somewhat grown arms and legs instead of the basic one I had previously envisaged but I suppose you just go with the flow. However, as I must love being a glutten for punishment and may be not good at it but I'm going to attempt an epilogue chapter to properly end this story but it will be 'M' rated. I haven't finished it yet.**

 **Thank you for the support you've given this story especially with it being my first FF. It's been such a learning curve and have also loved it. The Sunflowers card and the verse inside, I got that from Google. The song I listened to when writing this was: Breathe Me by Sia as it went so well with the romantic feel of Charles speech.**


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